Definition
Alzheimer’s disease is commonly referred to as a neurological disorder for the old-aged. A malfunction of the brain is mostly evidenced through loss of memory among the middle-aged and the elderly (Selkoe, 2002). In most cases, the disease is referred to as a mental deterioration process as it happens gradually.
Age onset
Alzheimer’s disease is common among people aged 65 and above years. However, the disorder becomes prevalent among people aged 85 and above years.
Warnings
People with Alzheimer’s disease have a tendency of being forgetful. Alzheimer’s makes people have challenges in planning or taking part in any decision-making process. Confusion of important events like dates and seasons among the elderly is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Another major sign of the mentioned mental disorder is difficulty in executing activities. Sometimes, people with Alzheimer’s disease experience difficulties in spelling words. In addition, cognitive abilities in reading, writing, and interpreting images are impaired by the mentioned mental disorder. Mood changes are a common symptom of a mental disorder. Symptoms of social withdrawals are common among Alzheimer’s diseases patients. Poor judgment in making critical decisions that require attention is also a symptom of the mentioned disorder. Finally, Alzheimer’s disease patients have a tentoncy of misplacing items.
Stages
Alzheimer’s disease develops in 7 stages, before becoming a severe disorder. The first stage is the no impairment stage, which does not entail any mental problem. A very mild cognitive decline is the second stage characterized by mild memorThe mildss. Mild cognitive decline stage is a third stage of the disorder and involves detectable dementia symptoms. A moderate cognitive decline forms the fourth stage of the disorder and involves more symptoms of dementia. The fifth stage is called a moderate-severe cognitive decline, where the patient requires interventions. The severe cognitive decline stage is the worse stage, where symptoms of personality changes are diagnosed. The final stage is referred to as the very severe cognitive decline stage, which is characterized by the patient’s inability to talk or take self-care initiatives.
Risk factors
Risk factors that may lead to the acquisition of Alzheimer’s disease are age, genetics, diabetes, head trauma, and cardiovascular disease.
Diagnostic criteria
A diagnostic criterion of Alzheimer disease is preceded by an assessment of the patient’s medical history, especially for dementia. Physical examination is done to evaluate a patient’s neurological conditions. Conducting a report evaluation from informants like family members is also critical to ascertain a patient’s history with dementia. Subsequent mental tests are conducted on the patient. Addition assessments for depression are critical to determining medical intervention for the patient.
Interventions
Pharmacological interventions for dementia involve the prescription of drugs. Drugs such as Donepezil, galantamine, and memantine, are frequently used as medical intervention mechanisms for dementia (Sink, Holden & Yaffe, 2005). However, non-pharmacological interventions like aromatherapy, reflexology and dietary supplements are now commonly used to treat dementia symptoms.
Management of Alzheimer’s disease
There is a variety of management mechanisms for Alzheimer’s disease. These includes use of family-care initiative, where the family is educated by healthcare providers on how to support and care for the patient at home. The disorder can be managed through management of symptoms, changing the patients living and working environment. According to (Aisen, 2002), it is also possible to slow down the progress of the Alzheimer’s disease by using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). It is also recommended that replacing estrogen can slow the manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease among the old-aged.
References
Aisen, P. S. (2002). The potential of anti-inflammatory drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The Lancet Neurology, 1(5), 279-284.
Selkoe, D. J. (2002). Alzheimer’s disease is a synaptic failure. Science, 298(5594), 789-791.
Sink, K. M., Holden, K. F., & Yaffe, K. (2005). Pharmacological treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. JAMA: the journal of the American Medical Association, 293(5), 596-608.