A combination of genetic, environmental, and lifetime factors trigger changes in brain functions. When the structures of the cerebral cortex become dysfunctional, a wide range of neurological diseases can appear.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that results from the worsening of dementia symptoms. The most typical characteristic of Alzheimer’s is the loss of memory.
This irreversible disease of the brain occurs due to the loss of neuronal cells and synaptic connections between them. This is how the brain’s memory processing centers shrink, which in turn leads to impairment of all their functions and – eventually – to a complete loss of memory.
What Is the Main Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease?
One of the leading causes of this progressive neurodegenerative disease is brain atrophy caused by the loss of neurons in the brain areas involved with memory processing. An excessive deposit of proteins is one of the suspected triggers for neuronal destruction which leads to Alzheimer’s disease.
Additionally, tangles and plaques are the 2 types of lesions chiefly related to Alzheimer’s disease.
How Do Plaques and Tangles Trigger the Destruction of Neurons?
Plaques are protein deposits that accumulate between the nerve cells, while tangles refer to the knots of the tau-protein fibers that form inside the neurons. When these entangled protein fibers build up in the spaces between neurons, they trigger neuronal death, which leads to a gradual worsening of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms.
While the plaques form outside the neurons, the tangles form on the inside of the neuronal cells. As a result, they interfere with the cellular mechanisms of protein creation and recycling, which destroys the cells.
In Alzheimer’s patients, these plaques and tangles form in the brain’s areas involved in the memory processes. They then obstruct the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of information stored in the memory of the affected person.
What Are the Main Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Early signs of Alzheimer’s disease are the following:
- Difficulty in recalling recently learned information;
- Repeatedly asking the same question without being aware of it;
- Difficulty in remembering important events or dates;
- An increasing need to create reminders;
- Difficulty in completing everyday tasks;
- Inability to recognize the season of the year;
- Disorientation in space and time;
- Momentary confusion about what day of the week it is;
- Difficulty maintaining balance;
- Displacing personal items at unusual places and later being unable to find them;
- Neglecting personal hygiene;
- Inability of the affected person to make decisions for themselves;
- Loss of conversational abilities;
- Loss of interest in social activities.
What Is the Relation Between Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory?
Alzheimer’s disease patients suffer from a slow decline of memory, but at the same time, they have strong emotional memory.
This progressive neurodegenerative disease affects short-term memory at first. In the first stages, the patients usually forget simple things, such as what they did or said several minutes earlier. During the disease’s progression, the symptoms that occur lead to long-term memory loss, which usually results in amnesia.
What Are the 7 Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is analyzed and sequenced into seven stages to better understand its progression.
Stage 1 of Alzheimer’s Disease
The first stage of Alzheimer’s disease shows no impairment of the function of the brain. The symptoms are not easily recognized, since the affected individual doesn’t display any memory problems or symptoms relevant to Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Stage 2 of Alzheimer’s Disease
During stage 2, more pronounced, but still mild symptoms of the disease can be observed, where the affected individual experiences episodes of memory loss that affect daily life. The loss of memory is evident from examples such as forgetting where the person left an item. This can also be a symptom of the brain aging naturally, so it’s not an indisputable indication of early-stage Alzheimer’s.
Stage 3 of Alzheimer’s Disease
At stage 3 of Alzheimer’s disease, the symptoms can be noticed by the affected individual’s family members. It might come to their attention that the patient’s forgetfulness is more than what can be expected in the normal process of aging.
The symptoms range from frequent losing of items and difficulty in planning and decision-making to the inability to remember what the person with Alzheimer’s just read or heard. Social situations also become increasingly difficult for the patient.
Stage 4 of Alzheimer’s Disease
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s are identified at stage 4, characterized by a moderate loss of short-term memory.
Namely, the affected individual begins to forget parts of personal information (their address, or their phone number) and important events or dates. Furthermore, they begin to feel lost in both time and space; they sleep longer during the day, engage in more aggressive behaviors, have more frequent emotional outbursts, etc.
Stage 5 of Alzheimer’s Disease
During this stage of memory decline, patients with Alzheimer’s disease experience pronounced difficulty in taking care of their personal hygiene and considerable confusion and difficulty in participating in a conversation.
Stage 6 of Alzheimer’s Disease
The sixth stage is characterized by more severe symptoms due to which the affected individual requires to be taken care of by another person. The patient can no longer recognize faces, use the restroom without help, and displays even more apparent confusion.
Thus, constant supervision is necessary to prevent any unwanted injuries caused by the lack of personal control and to provide a safer environment for the person affected by Alzheimer’s disease.
Stage 7 of Alzheimer’s Disease
The final stage of Alzheimer’s disease is the most severe one. At this stage, the affected individual can no longer engage in conversation, except for maybe uttering a few words. All of the cognitive abilities show a large degree of decline as well as the motor movements, which are also severely impaired. The patient can no longer walk or sit up straight without assistance.
This is when the patient’s immune defenses are also at their lowest level, so the risks of infectious diseases are multifold. Pulmonary problems potentially pose even more danger to the patient than the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Emotional Side of Alzheimer’s Disease – How Does the Affected Person Feel?
The spectrum of emotions felt by individuals affected by Alzheimer’s disease ranges from anxiety, impatience, delusion, depression, loneliness, and fear, to serenity while enjoying life’s joys. As a result of these emotions, the patients may face various behavioral problems, such as wandering alone, expressing aggressive behavior, feeling threatened or insecure, etc.
Fun Facts
Did you know?
- The nutrition rich in sugar worsens the symptoms of both dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
- Since the person affected by Alzheimer’s disease displays a short attention span, they can become visibly agitated and impatient even after a few minutes of waiting.
- The first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease typically appear in the mid-60s.
- Since vitamin B12 supports the regeneration of neurons in the brain, the foods rich in this vitamin should be included in the Alzheimer’s patient’s diet.
- Each person affected by Alzheimer’s disease experiences different symptoms through different stages.
- The symptoms of Alzheimer’s inevitably get worse as the disease progresses.
- Dementia refers to a group of symptoms shared by Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases of the cortical structures.
- Even though the individuals affected by Alzheimer’s cannot properly communicate at the final stage of the disease, they can still have beneficial effects from listening to music.
- The early detection of Alzheimer’s disease contributes to the prolonged life of the affected individuals. It can also provide patients with greater independence in their everyday life.
- Unfortunately, there’s no cure for Alzheimer’s disease yet.