|
Diagnoses |
 |
Dementia of the Alzheimer TypeNote: If you are having an emergency or have thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, please pick up a phone and dial 911. Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease, and simply known as Alzheimer's, is a neurodegenerative disease that, in its most common form, is found in people over the age of 65. Approximately 24 million people worldwide have dementia of which the majority (~60%) is due to Alzheimer's.[1] Clinical signs of Alzheimer's disease are characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration, together with declining activities of daily living and by neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. It is the most common type of dementia. Plaques which contain misfolded peptides called amyloid beta (Aβ) are formed in the brain many years before the clinical signs of Alzheimer's are observed. Together, these plaques and neurofibrillary tangles form the pathological hallmarks of the disease. These features can only be discovered at autopsy and help to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Medications can help reduce the symptoms of the disease, but they cannot change the course of the underlying pathology. The ultimate cause of Alzheimer's is unknown. Genetic factors are clearly indicated as dominant mutations in three different genes that account for the small number of cases of familial, early-onset AD have been identified. For the more common form of late onset AD, ApoE is the only clearly established susceptibility gene. All four genes can contain mutations or variants that confer increased risk for AD, but account for only 30% of the genetic picture of AD. These four genes have in common the fact that mutations in each lead to the excessive accumulation in the brain of Aβ, the main component of the senile plaques that litter the brains of AD patients.[2] 7401 Wiles Road, Suite #150, Coral Springs, FL 33067 |