Treatment is the next step after diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.  Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease, and no single “magic bullet” is likely to prevent or cure it. That’s why current treatments focus on several different issues, including helping people maintain mental function, managing behavioral symptoms, and slowing Alzheimer’s.  Currently there is very few options, and no cure for the Alzheimers. The main sector of reshearch is medications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved four drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease. For people with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s, donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), or galantamine (Razadyne®) may help maintain cognitive abilities and help control certain behavioral symptoms for a few months to a few years. Donepezil can be used for severe Alzheimer’s, too. Another drug, memantine (Namenda®), is used to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s. However, these drugs don’t stop or reverse Alzheimer’s and appear to help patients only for months to a few years. These drugs work by regulating neurotransmitters, the chemicals that transmit messages between neurons. They may help maintain thinking, memory, and speaking skills and may help with certain behavioral problems. Such drugs are only affective to about 1/2 of the patients who use them and side effects can be sever, so it is important that they are carefully monitored and ceased if they are not helping.

One of the main reasons why I am such an advocate for Alzheimer’s research, is because of the limited aid current medications give. Currenlty reserach is being done for new, and improved treatment, and hopefully one day a cure!

Myth 1 Memory Loss is a Natural Part of Aging

In the past people believed memory loss was a normal part of aging, often regarding even Alzheimer’s as natural age-related decline. Experts now recognize severe memory loss as a symptom of serious illness.

Whether memory naturally declines to some extent remains an open question. Many people feel that their memory becomes less sharp as they grow older, but determining whether there is any scientific basis for this belief is a research challenge still being addressed.

Myth 2 Alzheimer’s Disease is Not Fatal

Alzheimer’s disease has no survivors. It destroys brain cells and causes memory changes, erratic behaviors and loss of body functions. It slowly and painfully takes away a person’s identity, ability to connect with others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his or her way home.

Myth 3 Only Older People  Can Get Alzheimers

Alzheimer’s can strike people in their 30s, 40s and even 50s. This is called younger-onset Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that there are as many as 5.3 million people living with Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. This includes 5.1 million people age 65 and over and 200,000 people under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

Myth 4 A Bang To The Head Can Cause Alzheimer’s Disease

While research and study has shown that the disease is quite common in people who have suffered with some form of head injury at some stage of their life, there is no real direct link that head injuries are a direct cause of Alzheimer’s, although previous brain trauma is clearly now identified as a potential risk factor.

Myth 5 I’m Not At Risk Because No-One In My Family Has Ever Had Alzheimer’s Disease

Statistics show that you are more likely to develop the disease if there is no real history of the disease in your family. There are two types of Alzheimer’s disease; familial Alzheimer’s disease and sporadic Alzheimer’s disease. Familial Alzheimer’s is a hereditary form of the disease and is passed on through the genes, however this form only accounts for 5% of all cases. Sporadic Alzheimer’s is much more common and is caused by many factors.

NEW YORK, NY—The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) today applauded the Social Security Administration for including early-onset Alzheimer’s disease among the medical conditions that will be given automatic approval for disability benefits, rather than have individuals go through what could be a lengthy qualification process.

“Every minute counts for people with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Eric J. Hall, AFA’s president and chief executive officer. “By fast-tracking the process to obtain benefits, the Social Security Administration is assisting countless younger individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families whose quality of life depends on this type of support. The Compassionate Allowance will make an enormous difference in enabling affected individuals to move toward managing their diagnosis and planning for the future.”

Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a rarer form of the brain disorder in which symptoms appear prior to age 65, even occurring in individuals in their 30’s and 40’s. More commonly, Alzheimer’s disease affects individuals 65 and older.

Last September, in a comment letter to the Social Security Administration, AFA had pressed for fast-tracking in light of the significant number of individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease as well as the additional issues they often face due to their younger age. For example, AFA had noted, they are less likely to be diagnosed because healthcare providers generally don’t look for this brain disorder in younger people; and many who are still employed when symptoms emerge are forced to give up work and other responsibilities due to their declining cognitive function.

In its announcement today, the Social Security Administration said that it is adding 38 conditions, including early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, to its list of Compassionate Allowances—a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. It allows the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals. Electronic identification of the additional conditions begins March 1.

Social Security Commissioner Michael J. Astrue said the expansion means that “tens of thousands of Americans with devastating disabilities will now get approved for benefits in a matter of days rather than months and years.”

Memory loss that disrupts daily life is not a typical part of aging. It may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s. Every individual may experience one or more of these signs in different degrees. If you notice any of them, please see a doctor.

1. Memory Loss the Disrupts  Daily Life

One of the most common signs of Alzheimer’s is memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information. Others include forgetting important dates or events; asking for the same information over and over; relying on memory aides (e.g., reminder notes or electronic devices) or family members for things they used to handle on their own.
What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes forgetting names or appointments, but remembering them later.

2. Challenges in Planning or Solving Problems

Some people may experience changes in their ability to develop and follow a plan or work with numbers. They may have trouble following a familiar recipe or keeping track of monthly bills. They may have difficulty concentrating and take much longer to do things than they did before.
What’s a typical age-related change? Making occasional errors when balancing a checkbook.

3. Difficulty Completing Familiar at home, at work, or at leisure

People with Alzheimer’s often find it hard to complete daily tasks. Sometimes, people may have trouble driving to a familiar location, managing a budget at work or remembering the rules of a favorite game.

What’s a typical age-related change? Occasionally needing help to use the settings on a microwave or to record a television show.

4. Confusion with time or place

People with Alzheimer’s can lose track of dates, seasons and the passage of time. They may have trouble understanding something if it is not happening immediately. Sometimes they may forget where they are or how they got there.
What’s a typical age-related change? Getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later

5. Trouble Understanding Visual Images And Spatial Relationships

For some people, having vision problems is a sign of Alzheimer’s. They may have difficulty reading, judging distance and determining color or contrast. In terms of perception, they may pass a mirror and think someone else is in the room. They may not realize they are the person in the mirror.

What’s a typical age-related change? Vision changes related to cataracts.

6. New Problems With Words In Speaking Or Writing

People with Alzheimer’s may have trouble following or joining a conversation. They may stop in the middle of a conversation and have no idea how to continue or they may repeat themselves. They may struggle with vocabulary, have problems finding the right word or call things by the wrong name (e.g., calling a “watch” a “hand-clock”).

What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps

A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places. They may lose things and be unable to go back over their steps to find them again. Sometimes, they may accuse others of stealing. This may occur more frequently over time.

What’s a typical age-related change? Misplacing things from time to time, such as a pair of glasses or the remote control.

8. Decreased or poor judgment

People with Alzheimer’s may experience changes in judgment or decision-making. For example, they may use poor judgment when dealing with money, giving large amounts to telemarketers. They may pay less attention to grooming or keeping themselves clean.
What’s a typical age-related change? Making a bad decision once in a while.

9. Withdrawl from work or social activities

A person with Alzheimer’s may start to remove themselves from hobbies, social activities, work projects or sports. They may have trouble keeping up with a favorite sports team or remembering how to complete a favorite hobby. They may also avoid being social because of the changes they have experienced.
What’s a typical age-related change? Sometimes feeling weary of work, family and social obligations.

10. Changes in mood and personality

The mood and personalities of people with Alzheimer’s can change. They can become confused, suspicious, depressed, fearful or anxious. They may be easily upset at home, at work, with friends or in places where they are out of their comfort zone.
What’s a typical age-related change? Developing very specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

Once you have identified potential signs and symptoms, it is important to seek out further information and help. Together with a network you and your loved one can start getting the help you need.

 

In order to better understand what is happening to your loved with Alzheimer’s it’s important to know what is going on with the brain. The following will give a brief overview of Alzheimer’s and the brain.

Alzheimer’s Changes the Whole Brain

Alzheimers disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Overtime, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all it’s functions The cortex shrivels up, damaging areas involved in thinking, planning and remembering. Fluid-filled spaces with the brain known as Ventricles grow larger.

Brain Tissues

Brain tissue viewed under the microscope show the terrible effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer tissues has many fewer nerve cells and synapses than a healthy brain. Plaques, abnormal clusters of protein fragments, build up between nerve cells. Dead and dying nerve cells contain tangles, which are made up of twisted strands of another protein.

Progression through the brain

plaques and tangles tend to spread through the cortex in a predictable pattern as Alzheimer’s disease progresses. The rate of progression varies greatly. People with Alzheimer’s live an average of eight years, but some people may survive up to 20 years.

For further information visit the Alzheimer’s Association