Alzheimer's disease, symptoms and stages

This disease takes on special significance in countries where the percentage of elderly and old people is increasing among the population. Alzheimer's disease, the symptoms of which have been described as far back as the beginning of the 20th century, remain largely mysterious and still incurable. She owes her name to the German doctor who first described it. The causes of the disease are not completely known. Its development is associated with pathological processes in the brain tissue leading to its atrophy and development of total dementia, or dementia.

Scientists have established that Alzheimer's disease, its symptoms are caused by changes, primarily in the cerebral cortex. There was a decrease in brain tissue of acetylcholine, a mediator, providing a link between neurons. Around the neurons, insoluble plaques, consisting of a pathological beta-amyloid protein, were found. It is proved that they gradually cause the death of neurons. Neurofibrillar plexuses formed with the participation of tau protein were also found in the brain tissue. The significance of the pathological form of apolipoprotein E, which enhances the formation of amyloid, has been revealed.

As a result of all these processes, the number of normally functioning neurons in the brain tissue decreases, and the connections between them are broken. There are diffuse foci of atrophy, and all types of mental activity of patients are violated.

The main thing associated with the development of the disease is age. Alzheimer's disease, the symptoms of which occur gradually and develop slowly, for 10 or more years, are the lot of older and older people. The average age of the patients is 54-56 years. As you age, their percentage is progressively increasing.

Alzheimer's disease is affected by heredity, but not all cases are associated with it. Family forms of the disease depend on the pathological gene in 21 pairs of chromosomes, which can be transmitted by inheritance. They develop at a younger age, after 40-50 years. It is believed that if among relatives there are persons with Alzheimer's disease, the risk of its occurrence increases several times.

Alzheimer's disease, stages of flow

Let us consider in more detail what changes Alzheimer's disease causes. Symptoms of it, associated with a violation of the normal state of brain tissue, affect all types of intellectual activity rights. There are 4 stages of the disease:

1. The stage of pre-dementia.

Initially, violations can be minor. Patients deteriorate in memorizing new information, and suffer attention. The person becomes apathetic; When speaking with difficulty, he chooses words. Infringement of comprehension of the information. This condition can persist for up to 10 years.

2. Early dementia.

Gradually, memory impairments are aggravated. The speech slows down. The vocabulary is reduced. There are violations of the habitual skills. It is difficult for a patient to dress, write, do ordinary housework.

3. Moderate dementia.

The condition of the patients progressively worsens, a violation of the letter and the account is added to speech disorders. Patients do not orientate themselves in space and time, they do not recognize their relatives, their habitual situation. There may be incontinence. There can be manifestations of aggression, delirium. Sometimes there is a passion for vagrancy.

4. Severe dementia.

At this stage, patients completely depend on others. Their speech is almost completely lost, they do not remember their own name, themselves, can not perform simple actions. Usually they lie in the embryo pose. Gradually, they develop exhaustion, and they die from joining pneumonia or other diseases.

Unfortunately, to date, Alzheimer's disease, its stages, gradually turning one into another, ends with the death of the patient.

Currently, a study is being conducted around the world to find effective treatments for this disease. Many of them undergo clinical trials, and undoubtedly, humanity will eventually overcome this disease.