Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, the first physician to treat and study in depth the case of one of his patients at Frankfurt Psychiatric Hospital. A woman, Auguste D., admitted in 1901, whose clinical history began with a zelotípic delirium, went on to suffer progressive and rapid memory loss, disorientation, language disorder, paranoia, behavioral disorders, and hallucinations. A very characteristic clinical picture that would later be baptized as Alzheimer’s disease.
Today, Alzheimer’s is one of the most frequent forms of dementia, its most representative symptom being the memory loss of recent events, livingly preserving the most memories, usually those of childhood and youth. Knowing what Alzheimer’s is, its causes, and its symptoms is essential to recognize what personality and behavioral changes bring and when we should go for professional help.
What Is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is defined as a neurodegenerative disease that destroys the entire network of neurons in which we accumulate experiences and experiences. Thus, neurons die while also making it difficult to communicate between those who are still alive. The death of neurons comes from the hand of the accumulation of a protein that causes the so-called neurofibrillary balls to emerge inside. These will end up killing the neuron, while amyloid or senile plaques block neural communication.
The constant reduction in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter and basic chemical for brain functioning, accompanies and sharpens this process. The disease is gradually atrophied and degenerating the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for the higher cognitive functions. The disease will spread to other areas such as the temporal lobes and parietal area, reducing both weight and brain mass.
Causes
As we have already pointed out, Alzheimer’s stems from the deterioration of the brain system. A deterioration that has behind it a complex alteration, without a unique cause and in which a multiplicity of factors usually intervenes.
- Hereditary factor: specialists point out that around 40% of Alzheimer’s patients have a history of the disease in the family.
- Aging factor: Although Alzheimer’s is often associated with aging, it particularly affects those over 65 years of age, but also with cases in children under 40 years of age.
- Gender factor: It usually affects women more than men, although it is also related to the higher life expectancy of women.
- Genetic Factor: The mutation of genes such as apolipoprotein E, amyloid protein, or presenilins 1 and 2 are usually associated with Alzheimer’s.
- Tobacco and diet: Other factors related to Alzheimer’s are tobacco and high-fat diets.
Symptoms
In the first moments, Alzheimer’s makes its presence barely noticeable, manifesting itself in slight memory loss and some disorientation. A deficiency that becomes increasingly evident, in addition to invalidating the sick and making him a completely dependent person by losing physical and intellectual skills. Among the most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s are:
- Deterioration of cognitive systems, starting with short-term memory loss. He is unable to recall recent memories, instead preserving the memory of facts of childhood and youth.
- As the disease progresses, it is also difficult to remember basic personal information such as the name, date of birth, etc.
- Difficulty reasoning.
- Apraxia: inability to control muscles and perform movements with an intention such as, for example, buttoning your clothes. Apraxia can be ideomotor, constructive and ideative.
- Aphasia: loss of vocabulary, even if they did not understand the most common words, and becoming unable to have a coherent conversation.
- Aprosexie or inability to maintain attention.
- Disorientation: space is not mastered and they forget even the usual spaces like their own home. In addition to space, disorientation can also be temporary and personal.
- Irritable, apathetic character, with a lack of initiative and spontaneity.
- Agnosia or difficulty in recognizing those stimuli that are received from the outside through the senses.
- Lack of notion of your own body, without mastering its different parts and position.
- Loss of the calculation capacity.
Prevention:
Prevention of Alzheimer’s begins by knowing the symptoms well and being attentive to the first signs of the disease. Early detection of these symptoms and trying to do memory exercises, maintaining a low-fat diet and, in general, healthy habits are basic for this prevention to be effective. It should be borne in mind that there are risk factors that we can avoid or strive to deal with to curb its impact. Thus, diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, sedentaryism, depression, or social isolation are some of these aspects to be monitored.
As preventive measures, we also highlight cardiovascular health care, perform physical exercise at least two hours a week, opt for a Mediterranean diet, and carry out activities that stimulate our intellect and our memory.
Treatment
As a disease that evolves gradually, it can be between 5 and 20 years from the onset of the first symptoms to the most serious phases, we find treatments aimed mainly at curbing the degenerative process, without yet having drugs that succeed in reversing it.
Thus, it is usually recommended to administer drugs that raise levels of acetylcholine in the brain, anticholinesterases such as tacrine, galantamine, nemantine, or rivastigmine, among others. These types of drugs manage to delay the cognitive deterioration of patients by up to half a year, presenting a high rate of effectiveness. In addition, if the disease is accompanied by psychotic symptoms, neuroleptic drugs are also usually given.
Other treatment measures are talking to the family and caregivers of the Alzheimer’s patient to advise them on how to deal with the whole process of cognitive impairment and know how to make it more bearable for him and the entire family environment. Positively addressing the disease, treating the patient in a calm and relaxed way, and helping him stay independent and active are some of the guidelines to follow to make the disease more bearable.