Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease, a disease which is terminal, degenerative and incurable in nature, is one of the most common forms of dementia. This disease has been named after the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who first made a description about this condition in 1901. This disease generally afflicts people above the age of 65.
One of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease is mild loss of memory which signals its onset. Sufferers of this disease encounter a great difficulty in remembering even latest events or happenings. Even the solution of a simple arithmetic problem becomes a major bottleneck. During the course of time, even basic activities are forgotten. There is also a lot of trouble in clarity of thought, coherent speech, reading, speaking and comprehension. Aggression and impatience are also common traits of this disorder.
The disease is spread over different phases: predementia, early dementia, moderate dementia and advanced dementia. The diagnosis of this disease is usually made based on the history of the patient and certain other clinical observations with respect to the neurological and neuropsychological aspects which are present. Mini mental state examination (MMSE) is a popular diagnostic tool for the detection of this disease.
There is no proved remedy for Alzheimer’s disease although certain drugs like donepzil, galantamine and rivastigmine help in the mitigation of certain symptoms in the early and middle stages of the disease. The onset of this disease can be prevented by the indulgence of a person in social interactions, games of intellectual nature and a healthy diet. Stimulation of cognitive thinking is also extremely beneficial in preventing the disease.