Signs and Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease ~ DEF4ONKI

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable disease of the nervous system. It most often occurs in older people and is characterized by the destruction of brain cells. Neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques form in the brain tissue. This degenerative disease is the most common type of senile dementia.

The causes of the changes that occur in the brain during Alzheimer's disease have remained unclear for more than a hundred years. There are many theories explaining its appearance. These include injuries, poor heredity, viruses, the influence of external toxic factors (aluminum, nitrates), pathological immune reactions.

Causes of Alzheimer's disease

The causes of this pathology have not yet been precisely determined. However, the main etiological factors are considered to be hereditary predisposition and age over 65 years.

Genetic predisposition

Currently, 3 genes have been discovered whose pathology can be considered the cause of the disease:

Most often, when this pathology develops in a person, a mutation of a gene located on chromosome 14 is detected.
The synthesis of amyloid protein, the deposition of which in brain tissue plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, is encoded by a gene located on chromosome 21. Pathology of this pair of chromosomes (trisomy) occurs quite often and causes Down syndrome. In patients with this syndrome, this pathology occurs more often than in other people and it develops in them at a younger age.
The rarest chromosomal abnormality that causes the disease is a gene mutation on the first chromosome.

Risk factors for developing Alzheimer's disease

In addition to the pathological influence of altered genes, in Alzheimer's disease symptoms appear and progress due to the influence of other factors that can be divided into correctable and non-correctable.

Non-correctable risk factors for the development of the disease include those whose influence cannot be eliminated:

The age of the person. Clinically, dementia of the Alzheimer's type begins to manifest itself at the age of 65-70 years, then the condition gradually worsens, the symptoms steadily progress.
Gender: women are more susceptible to this pathology.

Other risk factors are modifiable. A person can partially or completely eliminate them on his own or with the help of doctors:

Acute and chronic disorders of cerebral circulation (stroke, discirculatory encephalopathy) resulting from ischemia of brain cells.

The causes of vascular complications are: atherosclerosis, vascular development abnormalities, diabetes mellitus, blood clotting disorders (increased thrombus formation), hypertension, heart rhythm disturbances, hyperhomocysteinemia, hypercholesterolemia.

Traumatic brain injuries.
Neoplasms of the brain.
Poisoning.
Low intellectual activity, lack of education.
A history of psychological trauma or depression.
Obesity, sedentary lifestyle.
Presence of bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse).

Classification of the disease

According to medical classification, Alzheimer's disease is divided into two forms:

Presenile. Signs and symptoms appear in a person at an early age, before age 65. This form is characterized by rapid progression.
Sinilnuyu. It is also called senile dementia or cyanide dementia. The disease develops in older people after 65 years of age. It usually progresses more slowly than the presenile form.

However, due to the fact that the first signs of Alzheimer's disease are difficult to identify, this division can be called rather arbitrary.

Alzheimer's disease is considered a genetically determined disease. Scientists say they currently know of four genes whose presence suggests a high risk of developing the disease.

Stages of Alzheimer's disease

It is customary to distinguish 4 stages of Alzheimer's disease:

Pre-dementia. Clinically, this stage has practically no manifestations, but mild cognitive impairment may appear. Morphological changes in the brain at this stage can be detected.
Early stage of the disease.
Stage of clinical manifestations.
Difficult stage.

Clinical picture

In the preclinical stage, the first signs of Alzheimer's disease may be detected, such as decreased short-term memory, difficulty in learning new information, and impaired abstract and logical thinking.

Astheno-depressive syndrome and apathy may appear due to the fact that the person is still aware of his problems, but cannot cope with them.

Early stage of the disease

During this stage of Alzheimer's disease, symptoms progress:

Both short-term and long-term memory are impaired. Patients cannot remember new names, names, it becomes difficult to remember anything, they forget some words, during a conversation they try to avoid complex speech patterns or find a suitable word to replace the forgotten one, which does not always work, and as a result the speech becomes peculiar. A person may forget a foreign language that he previously spoke.
Agnosia develops: difficulty perceiving information, inability to concentrate on something that previously did not cause difficulties. Problems arise in professional activities. When watching a serious film or reading a book, it becomes impossible to understand the plot and then retell the information received in your own words.
It becomes difficult to navigate in an unfamiliar place.
In connection with the listed problems, anxiety and depression worsen, psychosis may develop, and then a decrease in interest in everything, apathy.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in the stage of clinical manifestations

Main clinical characteristics of this stage:

A characteristic dementia of the Alzheimer's type develops, manifested by the fact that the patient cannot remember events from the immediate past, but clearly remembers significant events from his childhood and youth, remembers the names of his parents, but cannot say the names of his grandchildren.
Time orientation is disturbed: the patient remembers the event, but incorrectly determines the period of time when this event occurred.
The patient can fill in memory gaps with fictitious stories.

Gradually, the knowledge and skills necessary for a person’s professional activities are completely lost.

Over time, a violation of praxis develops, the impossibility of self-care: a person cannot dress himself, prepare food, forgets how to brush his teeth, take a shower, and use the toilet.
Impaired control of pelvic functions develops: involuntary urination and bowel movements.
Movements become awkward, clumsy, and the gait changes.
The patient's personality changes: he may become aggressive, irritable, whiny, a tendency to wander, and delusional ideas may appear.

Disturbances at a severe stage

The main manifestations of the severe stage of Alzheimer's disease:

Speech almost completely disappears. The patient is silent or mutters indistinctly.
Complete apathy towards everything develops.
All self-care skills have been lost: the person is unable to eat on his own, move around, and needs round-the-clock care.
Physiological functions are not controlled by the patient. Diapers are required.

As a result of almost complete immobility, hypostatic pneumonia often develops, bedsores appear, and an ascending urinary tract infection can develop.

In Alzheimer's disease, the last stage is practically uncorrectable; pathological conditions (bedsores, pneumonia) that occur at this time are the main causes of death. The life expectancy of patients with a severe stage of the disease is no more than 1 year.

Signs of the disease in a general description

The course of Alzheimer's disease varies greatly both in the age of onset of the disease and in the specifics of its course in individual cases. And yet there are common signs of the disease:

Loss of memory, initially short-term, concerning recent events; then gradually the entire past life is erased from memory. At the intermediate stage, a person does not remember either his youth or childhood, and at the last stage of the disease, he does not recognize his own relatives.
It becomes difficult for a person to do ordinary activities: driving a car, carrying out professional activities (if the person works) or household chores.
Feeling confused or frustrated, especially at night.
Mood swings - outbursts of anger, anxiety and depression.
A feeling of disorientation in space: the patient can easily get lost outside the home, and in the final stage, even in his own home (even if he lives in a one-room apartment).
Physical problems such as unsteady gait, poor coordination.
Communication problems. First, individual words are forgotten and the thread of the conversation is lost. As the disease develops, the patient becomes verbose and repeats the same thing several times. At a later stage, the person does not speak at all, and it becomes impossible to establish contact with him.

The gradual loss of body functions leads to death.

Life expectancy after a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is on average 7-9 years; only 2-4% of patients live about 15 years.

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Memory impairment, depressive symptoms and other symptoms are nonspecific signs found in many other diseases: consequences of acute cerebrovascular accidents, injuries, brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, encephalopathies of various origins.

To make a differential diagnosis between all these pathologies and prescribe timely treatment that reduces symptoms, it is necessary to contact specialists: a neurologist, a psychiatrist.

When and why you need to see a doctor

If memory or attention is impaired, asthenia or depression develops, to exclude serious diseases, you should consult a neurologist.

The earlier dementia in Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed, the more opportunities there will be to select special therapy that will reduce the manifestations of the disease and slow down the progression of symptoms.

The diagnosis is made based on complaints from the patient and his relatives, a survey:

finding out the patient's life history,
lifestyle features,
heredity,
history of the disease (the presence of provoking factors is revealed),
data from physical examination methods, the main one of which is psychological testing,
instrumental and laboratory studies.

Neuropsychological tests

An Alzheimer's disease test is performed to detect cognitive dysfunction:

The patient is asked to name 4 objects shown in the picture.
It is proposed to remember and reproduce immediately and after 3 minutes 5 words written on the card or spoken by the doctor.
They are asked to classify the words into categories: choose from the proposed words the names of animals or plants, animate and inanimate objects, etc.
Simple arithmetic problems are used: counting, addition, subtraction.
Clock Drawing Test: Asks you to draw a clock face with hands showing a specific time. In this way, orientation in space is checked.
Violations of praxis are identified when it is impossible to write a simple sentence or draw a suggested picture.

Instrumental examination methods

These methods are based on the use of special equipment to identify the morphological and physiological basis of Alzheimer's disease:

Electroencephalography for Alzheimer's disease is a method for recording the bioelectrical activity of brain neurons, which changes with this pathology. EEG reveals changes at the stage of clinical manifestations of the disease, and also allows you to track the effectiveness of treatment during the study over time.
Computed tomography (CT) of the brain or MRI for Alzheimer's disease can reveal changes in the areas of the brain affected by this disease: atrophy of the cerebral cortex, reduction in brain size, enlargement of the ventricles.
Positron emission tomography (PET) detects decreased metabolism in affected neurons by measuring the concentration of a radioactive substance injected into the patient before the PET scan. This method can detect changes at the preclinical stage of the disease.
Doppler ultrasound of cerebral vessels: reveals the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the cerebral vessels, reducing their lumen, which causes cerebral ischemia.
ECG and ultrasound of the heart reveal disturbances in heart rhythm, morphological changes in the myocardium, and the presence of blood clots in the atria, which can cause a stroke and, as a result, aggravate brain damage.

Laboratory research methods

There is no specific test for Alzheimer's disease. The main studies carried out to diagnose the disease, as well as conditions that are risk factors for the development of the disease:

Biochemical blood test, determination of the lipid spectrum, glycemic profile: can detect increased cholesterol levels, diabetes mellitus and other pathological conditions that provoke the development of angiopathy.
Examination of cerebrospinal fluid to detect beta-amyloid, which is a marker of Alzheimer's disease.

Deterioration of vision as a sign of disease development

The latest research by ophthalmologists from Israel and the United States has found a connection between visual impairment and a neurodegenerative disorder.

Duke University scientists conducted research using modern technology - OCTA (optical coherence tomography angiography). It allows you to quickly take high-quality images of intraocular blood flow. Doctors studied in detail the changes in the retina due to Alzheimer's disease in the images and compared the results with those of healthy and sick patients, as well as with a group that showed the first signs of age-related cognitive decline.

OCTA (optical coherence tomography angiography)

As a result, markers characteristic of Alzheimer's disease were discovered, for example, a decrease in the thickness of the retinal layer of the eye and a decrease in the number of blood vessels. Similar impairments were not found in a group of patients with mild age-related decline in cognitive function. The conclusion that was made by scientists: this technique can be used to identify the early stages of Alzheimer's disease.

The second similar study was conducted at the medical center named after. Chaim Shiba, where patients with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease were examined when symptoms had not yet appeared. They also found thinning of the retinal layer of the eye, which scientists linked to a decrease in the size of the hippocampus.

A neural network (a mathematical model of living neural cells of the human brain) is already able to identify the risk of developing a terrible disease 5 years before the initial symptoms appear. The algorithm makes a conclusion based on the study of MRI, genetic and clinical data.

Diagnostics

The first thing to do is consult your GP and tell them about the signs you may have noticed. He will be the one who will be able to make the first assessment of the situation and refer you to a more specialized doctor.

“Several examination methods are used to make an accurate diagnosis”

Multidisciplinary diagnosis

Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is a long and complex process, especially due to the progressive development of symptoms.

It can be difficult to distinguish benign from disease-related and then, in a second step, identify the cause (depressive disorder, thyroid problem, or neurodegenerative disease). This step is important because some causes may be treatable.

To make an accurate diagnosis, several examination methods are used.

Neuropsychological assessment:

Method: A series of tests tailored to the patient in the form of questions or simple tasks to complete.
Goal: Assess the patient's cognitive impairment (memory, speech, thinking, etc.) and identify symptoms as soon as possible.

Brain Imaging:

Method: Uses MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT scan to observe the overall appearance and extent of specific areas of the brain.
Goal: to recognize problems in certain parts of the brain and the absence of other diseases.

Neurological examination:

Method: the doctor asks the patient to perform some movements, bend over, make a face, etc.
Goal: to identify possible neurological problems in a person that affect walking, speaking, etc.

General medical assessment:

Method: complete examination of the patient, including laboratory tests.
Goal: To ensure that the patient does not have another disease or condition of the brain or nervous system that requires different treatment.

Discovery 2019: a constant desire to sleep is a sign of Alzheimer's disease

According to the results of studies published in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia, it was found that constant sleepiness during active times of the day signals symptoms of the disease.

Researchers were able to establish that during the development of the disease, the areas of the brain responsible for wakefulness during the day are affected. A link has been identified between brain damage and the Tau protein. This substance increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Under the close attention of a group of scientists were 7 people without signs of the disease and 13 people with obvious symptoms of the disease. After a thorough study of the brains of study participants, sick people were found to have increased concentrations of Tau in those areas that affect wakefulness during active times of the day. And along with this, about 75% of their own neurons were lost in these same areas.

Based on the results obtained, we can conclude that a constant desire to sleep indicates the development of Alzheimer's disease. It is not just a specific nucleus of the brain that degenerates, but the entire network responsible for wakefulness dies. Research has been conducted to determine the effects of protein on the brain, including the link between Alzheimer's disease and the need to sleep.

Treatment

There are no drugs yet that can cure Alzheimer's disease. Currently, treatment only slows the progression of the disease.

However, to improve the quality of life of patients, various therapeutic measures have been developed, including drugs that improve the condition of patients.

Medications

There are four inhibitor drugs available on the market designed to slow the progression of the disease and reduce some behavioral problems.

The effect is visible: both relatives and doctors report improvement in daily activities, speech, reason, memory...

In some cases, there is even a lasting improvement in attention and independence!

Aricept is an inhibitor used during mild to moderate forms of the disease. The drug, which affects the body during sleep, is taken in a dose of no more than 10 milligrams. It is contraindicated for those suffering from coronary heart disease, asthmatics and ulcers. Side effects of use may include fainting, headaches, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and dyspepsia.
Reminyl is a general spectrum inhibitor. Used to treat mild to moderate disease. It is intended to treat patients with problems of the vascular system and insufficient blood circulation in the central nervous system. The drug is contraindicated in patients with renal failure and chronic liver diseases. Side effects may include dizziness, nausea, weight loss, insomnia, and fainting.
Exelon is an inhibitor that blocks several acetylcholine enzymes that affect the development of dementia and memory loss. The inhibitor is intended for patients with severe dementia. The drug is contraindicated in patients with memory loss at a young age, and is not prescribed in combination with other drugs. Side effects are nausea, vomiting, insomnia, convulsions, angina pectoris, weight loss, gastric ulcer, pancreatitis.
Memantine is a drug indicated for the treatment of severe dementia. The medicine is contraindicated for pregnant and lactating women, as well as persons under 18 years of age. Side effects include fungal infections, dizziness, drowsiness, hallucinations, thromboembolism.

Inhibitor drugs are divided into several groups depending on the active substance. In case of poor tolerability or serious contraindications, the drug is changed to another, from a group of the same type.

The effect of using the drug occurs after 7-8 weeks of regular use with a standardized dose. If there are no results from taking the drug, a drug from another group is prescribed.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Treatment for Alzheimer's disease must be comprehensive. Drugs are prescribed that affect all parts of the pathogenesis of the disease and reduce its clinical manifestations.

Drug treatment

The main groups of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease:

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. These include: donepezil, reminil, exelon. These drugs increase the concentration of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that improves the transmission of nerve impulses between neurons.
Memantine prevents the negative effects of glutamate on nerve cells.
Vascular and metabolic drugs (Mexidol, vinpocetine, B vitamins, pentoxifylline, cinnarizine and others) improve brain nutrition and have an antioxidant effect.
Nootropic drugs (Cerebrolysin, Actovegin) improve intracellular metabolism in brain neurons, prevent their damage, and stimulate the development of interneuron connections.
Antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotic drugs - for the symptomatic treatment of the disease.

New treatments

Scientists are constantly trying to synthesize new drugs, find out how to prevent Alzheimer's disease, and find alternative methods of therapy. To date, the following methods are proposed and studied:

The introduction of glucose-containing substances that improve the nutrition of brain cells, thereby restoring cognitive functions.
Development of methods for delivering drugs to affected areas of the brain using an aerosol method.
Attempts are being made to create drugs that block the formation of amyloid plaques in brain tissue and blood vessels.
Development of gene technologies, implantation of stem cells to replace damaged brain tissue.
Invention of new drugs that improve interneuron connections for Alzheimer's disease.

Unfortunately, so far doctors are forced to answer the question of whether Alzheimer’s disease can be treated in the negative.

Reasons for development and progression

Alzheimer's disease: causes and treatment have not been studied. But there are factors that can significantly accelerate the course of the disease:

Chronic stress (there is a study that shows the development of tau protein pathology in response to stress on the cell);
High sugar levels, decompensation of diabetes mellitus (causes damage to brain vessels, accelerates the accumulation of amyloid);
Increased cholesterol, lipid disorders (accelerates the development of atherosclerosis, leads to oxygen “starvation” of brain cells);
Respiratory and cardiovascular pathology (leads to chronic hypoxia of brain tissue);
Increased homocysteine in the blood, deficiency of B vitamins, folic acid;
Impaired kidney and liver function (effect of toxic metabolites on the brain).

Any chronic pathology aggravates asthma. At the pre-dementia stage, it is important to adjust treatment with a therapist to prevent the accelerated development of dementia. Timely prevention and a healthy lifestyle are important.

Psychological assistance for Alzheimer's disease

In the early stages of the disease, the patient still retains a critical attitude towards his condition and those around him. He realizes that his memory is suffering, he becomes inattentive, and cannot perform his usual tasks.

A person begins to experience fear, anxiety for his future life, and is afraid of becoming a burden to loved ones. You need to know how to avoid this if you have Alzheimer's disease.

The task of specialists and people around them is to explain to the patient what is happening to him, what awaits him in the future and what opportunities there are to improve his condition if Alzheimer’s type dementia develops and slow down the progression of the disease.

Help for the patient's relatives

Relatives of such a patient, observing the gradual and steady deterioration of his condition, reducing his life expectancy, changes in the personality of a loved one, without being able to help him, also experience moral suffering, they develop anxiety and depressive disorders. In such cases, the following assistance methods may be required:

Individual lessons with a psychologist, psychotherapist.
Group psychotherapy.
Psychological self-help.

Practical advice on psychological self-help for the patient’s relatives:

It is worth clearly planning the daily routine for yourself and your sick relative, taking into account the time of meals, medications, hygiene procedures, walks, etc.
Involve all family members in caring for the patient.
Don't be left alone with your problems and doubts. You should communicate with fellow sufferers who can share how they or their loved ones live with Alzheimer's disease, and join self-help groups.
Do not neglect professional consultations with psychologists; if necessary, take medications for depression and anxiety prescribed by your doctor.
Study information about this pathology.

Specific symptoms of the disease

Among women

Until recently, it was generally accepted that women were more susceptible to developing Alzheimer's disease than men. Indeed, according to statistics, about 70% of patients are representatives of the fairer sex. However, as studies conducted in Europe and the USA have shown, the situation is not so clear.

On the one hand, the reason for this percentage is the difference in life expectancy. In simple terms, a significant proportion of men simply do not live to reach the age at which this disease is diagnosed. On the other hand, the influence of female hormones, such as estrogen and others, on changes in neurons and synapses of the brain has been proven.

Scientists have found that the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease have a clear gender specificity.

Signs of the disease in women:

cognitive disorders (from the Latin word “Cognitio” - cognition): disorders of memory, orientation in space and time; subsequently - confusion and “foggy” thinking;
anhedonia, that is, loss of pleasure from life, up to complete apathy and depression;
behavioral problems that disrupt normal communication: sudden mood swings from laughing to crying, outbursts of irritation for no external reason, etc.

At the beginning of the disease, women experience what is happening within themselves, try to maintain their social status and at least the appearance of their previous well-being. Realizing the futility of such attempts, they become withdrawn and emotionally unstable.

A common cause of dementia in the elderly is Alzheimer's syndrome, with women suffering from the disease much more often.

We will tell you about boarding houses for people suffering from Alzheimer's disease here.

We will consider the types of senile dementia and its manifestations in this topic.

In men

Among representatives of the stronger sex, Alzheimer's disease has the following features:

a higher tendency to aggression - verbal, physical and sexual, compared to women;
slower progression of dementia;
tendency to leave home and wander.

Diagnosis in men can be difficult, since relatives often mistake the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for a change in character for the worse. Dementia occurs gradually, and therefore aggressiveness and lack of restraint may be perceived by relatives as a kind of age-related male norm.

If senile dementia is detected in time, treatment of senile dementia with drugs will help slow down the development of the disease.

The stages of development of senile dementia and life prognosis are described in this publication.

Alzheimer's disease mainly affects older people, but it is not part of the normal aging process because it involves the death of brain cells.

Having noticed the first symptoms, you should immediately consult a neurologist, and he will prescribe the necessary studies and therapy to stop the progression of the disease and thereby prolong conscious life.

Caring for a Patient with Alzheimer's Disease

When caring for a sick person every day, it is necessary to adhere to several rules to ensure the physical and psychological well-being of a patient diagnosed with Alzheimer's syndrome:

Clear daily routine.
Proper, regular nutrition of the patient with the presence of all necessary nutrients in the diet: proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Food should not be hot, liquid, or puree if the patient has difficulty swallowing.
Ensuring the safety of the room where a sick person lives: absence of slippery floors, sharp corners, inaccessibility of fire and sharp objects to the sick person.
A friendly, patient attitude towards a sick person.
Encouraging the patient's attempts to independently care for himself, without excluding monitoring and assistance to the patient. Clothing should be without complicated fasteners, easy to put on and take off, shoes should be chosen without slippery soles.
Exclusion of access to valuables and money.
You should try to avoid new places while walking or meeting strangers, as this may frighten the patient. One such person cannot be allowed to go for a walk.
Give all medications to the patient in a timely manner, and if necessary, consult a doctor.

Symptoms and signs

When characterizing Alzheimer's disease, symptoms and signs characteristic of this type of dementia, you need to pay attention to accompanying mental conditions:

neurotic emotional background, prolonged in time;
periods of prolonged depression;
persistent paranoid states (ideas of causing harm, jealousy, etc.).

The most striking symptoms of asthma are as follows:

decay of memory as a function of the psyche (rapidly progressing amnesia, up to complete depletion of memory reserves and disorientation);
a specific reaction to a deficit of cognitive experience (impulsivity, depression, irritability);
peculiar regressive behavior: sloppiness, rigidity, getting ready to “go somewhere,” stereotyping;
symptoms of hydrocephalus: nausea, headaches, dizziness;
significant weight loss while maintaining (even increasing) the usual diet;
during communicative interaction – loss of attention (concentration), gaze is not normally fixed, obsessive movements;
Cognitive operations are impaired, which manifests itself in acalculia (pathology of counting), aphasia (pathology of speech), alexia (pathology of reading), apraxia (pathology of movement), etc.

The life expectancy of patients with asthma varies on average from 7-10 to 14-20 years, depending on the stage and individual course of the disease.

Prevention of Alzheimer's disease

What to do and what to avoid to prevent Alzheimer's disease: If possible, all correctable risk factors for developing this disease should be eliminated:

Adequate treatment of hypertension with antihypertensive (blood pressure-lowering) drugs.
Normalization of cholesterol and blood sugar levels with diet, statins, and hypoglycemic drugs.
Proper nutrition including seafood, fish, vegetable oils, fermented milk products, and red wine.
Elimination of bad habits.
Regular walks in the fresh air, adequate physical activity.
Compliance with work and rest schedules, avoiding stressful situations.
Constant self-education, brain training: memorizing poetry, reading classical literature, watching serious films.

Dementia of the Alzheimer's type is currently a very common disease, especially in developed countries where the population consists of many elderly people.

It is not yet possible to cure Alzheimer's disease, as well as to determine the exact causes that cause it, so no one is immune from it. Many famous people have had this diagnosis, including celebrities with Alzheimer's disease and former US President Ronald Reagan.

The problem of early diagnosis and search for effective treatment, prevention of Alzheimer's disease are very important issues that scientists have not yet resolved.

What kind of disease is this

The German doctor A. Alzheimer, who initially described a special form of brain disease that is chronic in nature, develops rapidly (with progression) and contributes to the disorder of memory, cognitive and other cognitive functions, unwittingly became the author and discoverer of this disease.

Dementia of the Alzheimer's type (an alternative name for AD) is more common in older people. Occurring on average from 50-55 years of age due to atrophy of brain cells, after 65 the frequency of manifestations of asthma increases sharply (observed in 5-6.5% of people), and after the age of 80 the disease acquires epidemic proportions (10- 25% of people). Although there are also early cases of manifestation of such dementia - at the age of 44-47 years, and some medical publications give examples of a 28-year-old patient.

At an early stage, this type of dementia is subtle and manifests itself in the form of:

minor memory impairments;
weakening of attention;
some speech problems;
difficulties in communication.

Alzheimer's disease: photo

Subsequently, the gradual progression of the disease is accompanied by a loss of autonomy and independence - in everyday life and everyday activities.

Symptoms

The clinical picture is nonspecific in the early stages. In the later stages, assessing symptoms also does not provide enough information. There are other forms of dementia, and mental disorders with similar symptoms are also possible. Additional instrumental research is required. An approximate list of manifestations looks like this:

Memory disorders

The leading manifestation in Alzheimer's disease clinics. If in the first stages there is a slight drop in the ability to remember and reproduce information (the inability to remember a small amount of data for a short period, forgetting events that happened the day before, general absent-mindedness), in the later stages total amnesia occurs. The patient does not understand who he is, where he is, what the names of his relatives are. The names of objects are also lost. Gross deviations are typical for stage 3 and beyond.

Thinking disorders

At the initial stages - minimal. Sufferers experience some difficulty solving logical problems and performing tests. Formally, intelligence is slightly reduced, productivity is still high. However, the pace is slowing. Then the violation becomes severe. Solving problems and completing assignments becomes impossible.

Speech dysfunction

In the first stages, it is impossible to clearly express your thoughts. The patient is unable to choose the correct concept, synonym, or describe his own feelings and thoughts. Lexical structure suffers. The sentences are of the same type, although they may be replete with inappropriate phrases. Which complicates the perception of the interlocutor’s statements. As it progresses, speaking takes on a telegraphic character. Fragmentary, presented in individual words. In the final phase, speech is completely lost, although the patient can still express himself with gestures within the framework of the simplest needs.

Neurological, reflex disorders

Incontinence of feces and urine. It develops as a result of damage to individual centers of the brain, which leads to disruption of the sphincters. A relatively late sign of a pathological process.

Emotional-volitional disorders

Alzheimer's disease leads to a whole group of disorders of a similar nature. Apathy is the leading manifestation within the pathological process. It starts with a slight feeling of not wanting to do anything. Falsely it can be perceived as laziness, but unlike the latter, it is a painful sensation for the sufferer. As it progresses, the person cannot even get out of bed. This is associated not only with lethargy, but also with muscle weakness.

The phenomena of emotional lability are increasing. At one moment, outbursts of unmotivated aggression are possible, at another, inappropriate gaiety, playfulness, and tearfulness. Inadequacy of emotional reactions is observed. The main character traits are emphasized. The duration of the episode is about 3-7 years. Then individual personality traits are erased and lost. Deficiency symptoms increase.

Reduction of fine motor skills

In the simplest cases, this manifests itself as an inability to dress, sew, or work on a computer independently. If a person is interested in music, then play an instrument. Later, the inability to hold a spoon is added. This is due to coordination problems and muscle weakness.

Movement disorders

According to the type of muscle weakening. The muscles are in hypotonicity, which is clearly noticeable upon palpation. Unsteadiness of gait is noted. And then the ability to move and even get out of bed is completely lost. Most people with Alzheimer's disease are unable to even hold their head up while feeding.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease exclude independent living, self-care, and the ability to perform household chores. Not to mention any professional activity. The patient truly becomes disabled. The role of outside help is gradually increasing. Severe neurological manifestations, the inability to move normally and even stand up, combined with apathy, make death inevitable in the later stages even with high-quality care. Patients are physically and mentally exhausted.

Main pathological forms

Any stages of Alzheimer's disease occur in the following forms:

senile;
presenile.

The senile form of the disease is typical for people who have crossed the threshold of sixty-five years.
Usually, with age, the pathology has a worse form of manifestation. Is Alzheimer's disease hereditary? The cause of development is a genetic factor

, which determines the course of the disease.

The hereditary nature of the disease is one of the reasons for the inability of medicine to cope with it.

The senile form corresponds to a slow development, the duration of which can reach fifteen or more years.

In such cases, a person is accompanied by a progressive type of memory impairment, but a weak destruction of other cognitive functions. Sometimes the first signs of Alzheimer's disease in women with the senile form appear more clearly than in the stronger sex.

The presenile form of the disease typically develops in people from the age of fifty to the age of sixty-five. Hereditary nature plays a key role in this. , mutational variability may appear in elderly patients

, which captures the following structures:

beta-amyloid precursor proteins;
presenilin No. 1;
presenilin No. 2.

How does this form of Alzheimer's disease progress? The described form of the disease is characterized by an instantaneous development. At the same time, patients stop recognizing their relatives and suffer from speech problems. Naturally, it is extremely difficult for them to cope at home without outside help.

Important!

Diagnosing a presenile form of the disease in an elderly citizen serves as a signal to show excessive care and concern towards him. Otherwise, the life path of this person will become much shorter.

How long do people with this disease live? According to doctors, the life expectancy of people with the described diagnosis does not exceed ten years. In some cases, in the absence of the proper level of attention and care, it becomes even shorter. Therefore, proper and proper treatment for Alzheimer's disease is necessary.

Prognosis for patients with Alzheimer's

Unfortunately, Alzheimer's disease has a disappointing prognosis. Steadily progressive loss of essential body functions leads to death in 100% of cases. After diagnosis, life expectancy is on average 7 years. Less than 3% of patients live more than 14 years.

How long do people live in the final stages of Alzheimer's? The severe stage of dementia begins from the moment when the patient cannot move. Over time, the disease worsens, and there is a loss of speech and the ability to comprehend what is happening.

From the moment of complete absence of mental activity and impaired swallowing reflex to death, it takes from several months to six months. Death occurs as a result of infection.

Characteristics of the disease

The pathology was first described by the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer. The discovery date of this violation is 1906.

The degenerative nature of Alzheimer's disease consists of the gradual death of neurons that form the cerebral cortex. The disease progresses steadily, and over the years leads to a complete collapse of normal mental activity.

Alzheimer's disease is recognized as one of the main causes of dementia (senile dementia). Despite the fact that the disorder is considered to be age-related, it can be detected in persons who have not reached extreme old age.

The pathology is more often diagnosed in residents of Western countries. This pattern is associated with the longer life expectancy of the foreign population.

Despite the fact that complete recovery of patients with asthma is impossible, doctors insist on providing quality treatment at the early stage of the disease. This approach allows us to slow down negative changes and premature destruction of the patient’s personality, and improve his quality of life.

Stages

Alzheimer's dementia comes in two forms: normal, which begins after age 65, and early onset, which is much less common.

Depending on how severe the syndromes are, the following stages of Alzheimer's disease are distinguished:

Predementia

At the stage of pre-dementia, subtle cognitive difficulties arise, often detected only during detailed neurocognitive testing. From the moment of their appearance to verification of the diagnosis, as a rule, 7-8 years pass. In the overwhelming majority of cases, memory impairments for recent events or information received the day before, and significant difficulties when it comes to remembering something new, come to the fore.

Early or early stage Alzheimer's

Early dementia - a slight disorder of the intellectual sphere is visible while maintaining the patient’s critical attitude to the problem. In addition, attention is impaired, the person becomes irritable and nervous. Severe headaches and dizziness often appear. However, with such violations, examination may not always detect changes.

Moderate type

Moderate dementia is accompanied by partial loss of long-term memory and some familiar everyday skills.

Severe stage of Alzheimer's disease

Severe dementia involves the disintegration of personality with the loss of the entire range of cognitive abilities. Patients are exhausted both mentally and physically. They are unable to independently perform even the simplest actions, have difficulty moving and eventually stop getting out of bed. There is a loss of muscle mass. Due to immobility, complications such as congestive pneumonia, bedsores, etc. develop.

Supporting a patient at the last stage of pathology development consists of the following measures:

ensuring regular feeding;
hygiene procedures;
assistance in meeting the physiological needs of the body;
ensuring a comfortable microclimate in the patient’s room;
organization of the regime;
psychological support;
symptomatic treatment.

Stages of development

Scientists have found that Alzheimer's disease (initial symptoms) manifests itself 15-20 years before the pronounced clinical picture, which greatly complicates the prevention of the development of the disease. To date, 3 stages of the pathological process have been identified:

Preclinical – pathology is in its infancy, no central nervous system disorders are observed.
A period of minor impairment - patients may notice a weakening of intellectual abilities and memory deterioration.
The initial degree of dementia - those close to you begin to notice that something is wrong. Most often, the presence of the disease can be confirmed clinically.

Each stage has its own characteristic features and approaches to providing medical care.

Genetic development factor

Hereditary pathology accounts for up to 10% of all registered cases of the disease. The development of Alzheimer's disease according to the genetic mechanism begins before 65 years of age. The gene is transmitted in an autosomal dominant manner: even if the second parent is not a carrier, the healthy gene transmitted to them is replaced by a pathological one. The chance of transmission to a child usually occurs in half the time.

Despite the proven genetic factor, scientists are convinced that different types of chromosomes contribute to the development of the disease. More recently, research has discovered a gene defect on chromosome 14, which leads to the development of the disease in 70% of cases.

Abnormalities of chromosome 21, which cause Down syndrome, lead to early development of Alzheimer's disease in 5% of cases. The rarest pathology - a defect in the gene of chromosome 1 - has a low probability of a “familial” disease.

Who is Alzheimer's

This is a German scientist, psychiatrist, who was the first to describe the symptoms of the disease. Alois Alzheimer spent a long time researching the causes and patterns of development of pathology and tried to find methods of salvation from it.

It was Alzheimer who identified this disease from a number of neurodegenerative pathologies in 1906. For several years he analyzed in detail all the symptoms with which one of his patients struggled in vain. He noted that the symptoms are progressive and cannot be treated.

Cholinergic

It turned out that in such patients a deficiency of acetylcholine develops in the body. It's a neurotransmitter. It ensures the transmission of impulses from one neuron to others. This is how the necessary information is transmitted through brain cells.

Based on this hypothesis, a number of special medications have been created that can increase acetylcholine levels. The drugs smoothed out the symptoms a little, but did not have a sufficient effect. They didn't even slow down the degeneration process. Now such drugs are used in the complex treatment of patients to maintain general health.

Diagnostic measures

It is recommended to identify Alzheimer's disease at the stage of the onset of precursor symptoms. This is the only way to begin timely therapy and slow down the progression of disorders with negative consequences on the part of the brain. The life expectancy of the patient depends on this.

First of all, special testing is carried out, during which a person must remember and repeat certain words, retell a paragraph from a story. If neurological functions are normal, he will easily perform any action.

Neuroimaging of Alzheimer's syndrome is in many ways similar to other pathological conditions occurring in the brain. For this reason, a differential analysis is prescribed with vascular diseases, cystic neoplasms, stroke and other pathologies in this department.

Magnetic resonance imaging is performed to detect the following changes in the organ:

reduced volume of liquor fluid;
the presence of neoplasms (cysts, tumors);
impaired metabolism in brain tissue;
dilated ventricles of the organ.

To determine the dynamics and level of progression of the pathology, magnetic resonance imaging is performed at intervals of 1 month.

A computed tomography scan may be necessary, which is most effective for changes in the brain that characterize the late stages of the pathological process.

At an early stage of the disease, positron emission tomography will help identify disorders. Contraindications include high levels of sugar in the body.

Alzheimer's disease: symptoms and treatment. Video:

Amyloid

This is the main version now. It is based on the fact that amyloid is deposited in the brain tissue, which destroys it. Although scientists have clearly established the relationship between amyloid deposition and the development of the disease, no one has yet figured out why this happens.

No drug has yet been developed that could counteract the accumulation of this dangerous substance in the brain. There is also no drug that can resolve amyloid plaques. There are experimental drugs and vaccines that should clear beta-amyloid from brain tissue. For now they are just undergoing clinical trials.

Conclusions:

To prevent or treat Alzheimer's disease, we use the following measures:

1. Eliminate all sweets, all foods with a high glycemic index, and all foods that cause inflammation. The diet should preferably include olive oil , cocoa , coffee , and sulforaphane from broccoli.

2. Daily 12 hour fasting, including sleep time (3 hours before bed + 8 hours of sleep)

3. Daily meditation from 20-30 minutes 1-2 times a day. Daily contagious laughter also reduces stress hormones. Therefore, it is recommended to watch comedies daily.

4. Sleep at least 8 hours in a row at night, and treat nocturnal snoring (apnea).

5. Physical education classes 4-6 times a week for 60 minutes ( long slow running, long walking, swimming, Nordic walking, etc.), as well as exercises for coordination, stretching muscles and joints. Light strength exercises twice a week.

6. Training intelligence , memory, attention.

7. Make sure that the homocysteine level does not exceed 7 µmol/l according to test results. To do this, you need to take an analysis and determine its level. If homocysteine is equal to or greater than 7 µmol/l, then it is necessary to use:

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) 20 mg per day. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26071632
Vitamin B12 injections (methylcobalamin). How to take a course of vitamin B12 injections, read the article: “ Vitamin B12 and prolonging human life ”
Folates (methyltetrahydrofolate) 0.8-1 mg per day. Where you can buy methyltetrahydrofolate, read the link: Thorne Research, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, 1 mg, 60 capsules .

In addition, even regardless of the homocysteine-lowering properties of vitamin B12, you need to monitor its level in the blood. Vitamin B12 deficiency is associated with Alzheimer's disease. If in tests for vitamin B12 in the blood its level is less than 500 pg/ml, then you need to take a course of injections with vitamin B12 (methylcobalamin)

8. C-reactive protein testing is used to diagnose inflammation in the Alzheimer's disease treatment protocol. If its level is higher than or equal to 1 mg/l, then the protocol for reducing this indicator recommends looking for the cause of inflammation.

To prevent inflammation, the protocol prescribes:

Organize good oral hygiene (brush teeth 2 times a day, treat caries on time)
Use curcumin 400 mg per day - only for treatment, but not for prevention!!!
Drink 5 g of fish oil
Ashwagandha 400 mg 1-2 times a day - only for treatment, but not for prevention!!!

9. Vitamin supplements, micro and macro elements

Magnesium protects cognitive functions of the brain.
But vitamin D3 500-1000 IU per day is required in combination with vitamins K2 and K1 .
A monthly course of vitamin B1 ( thiamine - not benfotiamine, but thiamine ) in a dosage of 3 to 8 g per day - only for treatment, but not for prevention!!!

10. Control blood insulin levels and glycation : low GI diet, vitamin B6, metformin, broccoli.

To treat Alzheimer's disease, you need to take 2 tests:

Fasting insulin - the norm is less than 7 µU/ml
Glycated hemoglobin (HgbA1c) - the norm is less than 5.5%

If these tests are outside the normal range, then it is very important to use the diet that was discussed in point No. 1 even more strictly, as well as use (if there is no renal failure, as prescribed by a doctor) medications and vitamins:

metformin 500 mg 2-3 times a day with meals.
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) 20 mg per day.

11. Normalize hormones: progesterone, pregnenolone, cortisol, estradiol, testosterone, thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), thyroid-stimulating hormone - TSH. If the hormones listed above are outside the normal range, then it is necessary, on the recommendation of an endocrinologist, to treat these abnormalities, possibly even using hormone replacement therapy.

12. Normalization of the health of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT): 1-2 glasses of kefir daily, treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.

13. Stimulating nerve growth factor may increase the likelihood of cancerous tumors. Therefore, this method should not be used to prevent Alzheimer's disease. But if cancer may or may not occur with such therapy, then without treatment Alzheimer's disease kills a person 100%. Therefore, there is no prevention, but this method can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease. Research shows that acetyl carnitine can stimulate nerve growth factor. Attention - this item should only be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, but not for prevention!!!

14. Vitamin B3 (niacin). To increase the neuroplasticity of the brain, a person needs to take 300 mg of niacin per day (100 mg x 3 times a day)

15. Piracetam 1 gram 3 times a day - only for treatment, but not for prevention!!!

16. Sedalit ( micro doses of lithium ) 75 mg (1/4 tablet)

Today, Alzheimer's disease can probably be reversed if treatment is started early.

Alzheimer's disease causes and treatment

In recent years, although a simple treatment for Alzheimer's disease has not yet been invented, many ways have been accumulated to reduce the rate of its development, as well as to prevent it. And so scientists from the University of California made an attempt to collect many of these data and try to apply them comprehensively, as a single treatment for more than 10 people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. After 10-24 months, as a result of such a stunningly successful experiment, almost all patients regained their mental abilities and memory, and were also able to return to their previous jobs. The systemic treatment protocol proved to be extremely effective.

Link to the study:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4931830

PATIENT 1. Strong family history of dementia. ApoE4 positive (3/4). Had amyloid, PET scan of the parietal region indicates Alzheimer's disease. Three months later, the wife reported that the patient's memory had improved. This patient had well-documented Alzheimer's disease, with strong positive amyloid. After a total of 10 months, he demonstrated not only significant symptomatic improvement, which began approximately three months into the protocol, but also an increase in hippocampal volume.
PATIENT 2 This patient had well-documented symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. For this patient, it is unlikely that the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was incorrect: ApoE4-positive Genotype, PET scan of the temporoparietal region—decreased glucose utilization typical of Alzheimer's disease. After treatment, the patient reported improvement—he was able to recognize faces at work (he had not been able to before), was able to remember his daily schedule (he had not been able to before), and was able to function independently at work. Again I was able to do calculations in my head - in a column.
PATIENT 3. Aroe Genotype 4/4. Her cousin also developed Alzheimer's disease in his 5th decade. Her marked improvement was sustained for 3.5 years.
PATIENT 4: Her family history was positive for Alzheimer's disease in her father, and her Apoe Genotype was 2/4. After treatment over the next few months, she noted clear improvements in reading, navigation, vocabulary, mental clarity, and facial recognition. I was able to learn foreign languages again.
PATIENT 5. Aroe Genotype 4/4. I experienced a clear improvement.
PATIENT 6. In PET scan, decreased glucose utilization in the temporal lobes is typical of Alzheimer's disease. There was no improvement after therapy!!!
PATIENT 7. Homozygous genotype for ApoE4. PET scan clearly indicates Alzheimer's disease, with decreased glucose utilization in the temporal, parietal, posterior cingulate and frontal regions. A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was made. After treatment, the patient's wife noticed a clear improvement in his memory and navigation. His guitar playing skills improved significantly and the patient was now able to play several pieces for the doctor. Although his wife admits that subjectively he has not completely returned to normal life and continues treatment.
PATIENT 8. Had amyloid, PET scan - parietal indicates Alzheimer's disease. ApoE4 positive genotype. This patient had a typical presentation of Alzheimer's disease. He had symptomatic improvements in memory and navigation and objective improvements in neuropsychological testing following treatment.
PATIENT 9. PET scan was characteristic of Alzheimer's disease, with decreased glucose utilization in the temporoparietal region. The patient was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. After three months, she showed clear improvement. She was able to babysit her grandchildren. She was able to follow written and verbal instructions without any problems that were not possible before treatment. She was able to read and remember the texts at night, and discuss the meaning of what she read with her husband (which she had not been able to do before treatment). She also became good at remembering the events of the previous day (something that had not happened for several years before starting treatment).
PATIENT 10. Aroe Genotype 4/4. After four months of the protocol, there was an improvement in visual and verbal memory.

This protocol is quite complex. Therefore, I will not describe its contents in detail, but will only reveal what you need to know in order to apply it. For those who want to carefully understand all the mechanisms that the treatment considers, I advise you to read the link with this study indicated above. In addition, I have excluded some tools from this protocol. Because while these medications may help treat Alzheimer's disease, they may also shorten life expectancy. For example, this protocol uses Alpha Lipoic Acid. Alpha lipoic acid, in studies of very old SAMP8 mice (a strain of mice prone to Alzheimer's disease), improves memory but shortens lifespan.

Link to the study:

www. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22785389
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4221920/table/T1/

I also expanded the protocol with new data, which, in my opinion, will make it possible to more effectively treat this serious illness, as well as simply prevent it, and in old age do without this “trouble.”