ALZHEIME

R'S
DISEASE

WHAT IS ALZHEIMERS?
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.
It is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs in the brain.
Alzheimers disease causes a deterioration in the brain
by destroying the nerve cells. Once the nerve cells begin
to deteriorate it causes a reduction of responses to other
nerve cells.
The condition spreads out causing chemical
interruptions, the transmission of impulses is slow, and
finally tissues in the brain begin to get worse.
In Alzheimers disease, nerve cells in the brain die
gradually. This makes it increasingly difficult for your
brains signals to be sent properly.
There are 7 stages of Alzheimer's

HOW YOU GET THE DISEASE?

They still dont know how the Alzheimers disease
process begins, it seems likely that damage to the
brain starts a decade or more before problems
become evident.
People who have relatives with Alzheimers have a
higher risk than the general population for
developing the disease.
People who have a parent or sibling with
Alzheimer's disease are 3.5 times as likely to
develop it.
This strong tendency of Alzheimer's disease to run
in families is due, in part, tomutationsin
certaingenes.

WHERE DOES ALZHEIMERS AFFECT

YOU IN THE BODY?
Alzheimers affects the brain.
Alzheimer's causes neurons to die which causes the brain
to shrink. This leads to a loss of functioning capabilities
in almost all parts of brain, not just the ones that affect
memory.
This leads to the formation of clumps and tangles within
the brain and eventually leads to death.
When you have Alzheimers the cerebral cortex shrinks
massively. The cerebral cortex is the outer surface of the
brain and it is responsible for all intellectual functioning.
The spaces in the folds of the brain (the sulci) are grossly
enlarged.
You cannot catch or spread Alzheimers

Normal Brain

Alzheimers Brain

WHEN DO YOU GET ALZHEIMER'S?

Alzheimers disease can occur at any age, even as
young as 40 years, but its occurrence is much more
common as the years go by
Early Alzheimer's starts at 65 years of age or younger.
Late Alzheimer's starts after age 65
One in ten people over 65 years of age suffer from the
disease, and over half the people over 85 have
Alzheimers disease.
At first the symptoms are difficult to recognise.
In the first 2 stages of Alzheimer's you cannot
recognise that you have it.
Often it is difficult to pinpoint when the Alzheimers
disease actually began in a person.

SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER'S
Short term memory loss forgetting recent events,
names and places
Difficulty performing familiar tasks
Disorientation especially away from your normal
surroundings
Increasing problems with planning and managing
Trouble with language
Rapid, unpredictable mood swings
Lack of motivation
Changes in sleep and confusion about the time of
day
Reduced judgement e.g. being unaware of danger

7 STAGES OF ALZHEIMERS
Stage

1: Normal
Stage 2: Normal aged forgetfulness
Stage 3: Mild cognitive impairment
Stage 4: Mild Alzheimers
Stage 5: Moderate Alzheimers disease
Stage 6: Moderately severe Alzheimer's
disease
Stage 7: Severe Alzheimer's disease

CURE AND TREATMENT FOR

ALZHEIMERS
Currently there is no cure for Alzheimers.
However there are several drugs that may be
prescribed to help people with Alzheimers. They
are not a cure, but can help with some of the
symptoms of the disease.
Drugs such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine
(Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) are used to
treat symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.
Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and
antipsychotics are used to treat the symptoms of
depression, anxiety, agitation, and the
hallucinations and delusions that may occur in
Alzheimer's disease patients