Clinical Sciences
Alzheimer
Amera Elsayed
Alzheimer
People with Alzheimer’s have trouble doing everyday things like driving
a car, cooking a meal, or paying bills. They may ask the same
questions over and over, get lost easily, lose things or put them in odd
places, and find even simple things confusing. As the disease
progresses, some people become worried, angry, or violent.
Symptoms:
Diagnosis:
In the early stages, the main symptom
of Alzheimer's disease is memory lapses.
A specialist will usually assess your
mental abilities, such as memory or
thinking, using tests known as cognitive
assessments.
Early symptoms
For example, someone with early Alzheimer's
disease may:

forget about recent conversations or
events

misplace items

forget the names of places and objects

have trouble thinking of the right word

ask questions repetitively

show poor judgement or find it harder to
make decisions
Mental ability tests
1-CT scan – several X-rays of your brain
are taken at slightly different angles and a
computer puts the images together
2-MRI scan – a strong magnetic field and
radio waves are used to produce detailed
images of your brain
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become less flexible and more hesitant to
try new things
There are often signs of mood changes, such as
increasing anxiety or agitation, or periods of
confusion.
Causes:
Middle-stage symptoms
Researchers trying to understand the cause of
Alzheimer's disease are focused on the role of two
proteins:

As Alzheimer's disease develops, memory
problems will get worse.
Someone with the condition may find it
increasingly difficult to remember the names of
people they know and may struggle to recognize
their family and friends.
Other symptoms may also develop, such as:

increasing confusion and disorientation –
for example, getting lost, or wandering
and not knowing what time of day it is

obsessive, repetitive or impulsive
behavior

delusions (believing things that are
untrue) or feeling paranoid and
suspicious about carers or family
members

problems with
speech or language (aphasia)

disturbed sleep

changes in mood,

difficulty performing spatial tasks, such
as judging distances
Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the
abnormal build-up of proteins in and around
brain cells.
Plaques. Beta-amyloid is a fragment of a larger
protein. When these fragments cluster together,
they appear to have a toxic effect on neurons and
to disrupt cell-to-cell communication. These
clusters form larger deposits called amyloid
plaques, which also include other cellular debris.
Tangles. Tau proteins play a part in a neuron's
internal support and transport system to carry
nutrients and other essential materials. In
Alzheimer's disease, tau proteins change shape
and organize themselves into structures called
neurofibrillary tangles. The tangles disrupt the
transport system and are toxic to cells.
As brain cells become affected, there's also a
decrease in chemical messengers (called
neurotransmitters) involved in sending
messages, or signals, between brain cells.
Risk Factors:


 seeing or hearing things that other people

do not (hallucinations)
.


Later symptoms

In the later stages of Alzheimer's disease, the
symptoms become increasingly severe and can
be distressing for the person with the condition,
as well as their carers, friends and family.
Age
Family History and genetics
Down syndrome
Sex
Head trauma
Life style and heart health
Complication:




Bladder and bowel problem
Depression
Infections
Malnutrition and dehydration
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Hallucinations and delusions may come and go
over the course of the illness, but can get worse
as the condition progresses.
 Falls
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