Alzheimer’s disease:
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle age or advanced years. It is a neurodegenerative disease that impairs brain functionality over time. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of premature senility and is attributed to generalized degeneration of the brain that leads to dementia, inability to perform activities of daily living, and ultimately death.
The only definitive diagnosis of AD is an autopsy, but there have been tests developed that assist in the evaluation of patient symptoms. Brain scans and other assistive tests can be utilized to determine if there are other causes of the AD symptoms. The technology utilized include: computerized tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) and, electroencephalograms (EEGs).
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is typically experienced by individuals as they age into their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and beyond. Simply forgetting insignificant details throughout the day is normal and to be expected. However, when MCI begins to affect an individual’s ability to navigate through daily tasks such as shopping, paying bills, preparing meals, etc. then it is classified as dementia-level impairment.
Normal Aging Memory Changes may include: forgetting the name of a close relative, not remembering a conversation at a party a year ago, an individual worried he or she is forgetting but family is not, occasionally forgetting events or dates, occasionally at lost for the right word.
Dementia:
Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of loss of cognitive ability conditions. It is defined as the decline of intellectual functions including thought process, cognitive reasoning, and memory recall. Dementia cannot be diagnosed as a disease definitively, but rather a group of symptoms accompanying a variety of diseases and physical conditions.
Symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease (AD):
- Depression
- Vascular Dementia
- Diffuse Lewy Body Disease
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Frontotemporal Dementia (Pick’s Disease)
- Huntington’s Disease
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)
* Source: the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias:
