Alzheimer's Disease

Definition

It is the most common form of dementia and it is degenerative disorder, especially the frontal lobe, which accounts for more than half of all cases of dementia. Primarily it may be found in the elderly population 1 % to 10% of cases have their onset in middle age. Because this is primarily a slow but progressive dementia. The course of the disease varies according to the each person, but on average, patients with the disease live from 8 to 10 years after diagnosis. The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease usually begins after age 60 and increases dramatically with age. Its prevalence is highest among those who are age 85 and older.

Causes of Alzheimer's disease

The exact cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown. But various factors that may cause this disease such as:

• Age
• Vascular disease
• Use of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.

Other risk factors include:

• Neurochemical- deficiencies in the neurotransmitters acetylcholine, somatostatin, substance P. and norepinephrine
• Environmental- repeated head trauma; exposure to aluminum or manganese
• Genetic - Aprolipoprotein E gene, the autosomal dominant form of Alzheimer's disease associated with early onset and death, as well as family history of the disease or the presence of Down syndrome in the patient.

Symptoms of Alzheimers disease

• Gradual loss of recent and remote memory, loss of sense of smell, and flattening of affect and personality
• Difficulty with learning new information
• Increasing difficulty with abstraction and judgment
• Severe deterioration in memory,language, and motor function
• Loss of coordination
• Inability to write or speak
• Personality changes, wandering
• Nocturnal awakenings
• Loss of eye contact and fearful look signs of anxiety such as wringing of hands
• Acute confusion, agitation, compulsiveness, or fearfulness when overwhelmed with anxiety
• Disorientation and emotional liability
• Progressive deterioration of physical and intellectual ability.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease

• N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist to treat Alzheimer's disease.
• You should be used Cholinesterase inhibitors to improve memory deficits.
• Hyperbaric oxygen to increase oxygenation to the brain.
• You should eat vitamin E supplements to prevent red blood cell destruction, thereby maintaining oxygen blood flow to the brain
• You should use cerebral vasodilators such as ergoloid mesylates, isoxsuprine, and cyclandelate to enhance cerebral circulation.