Alzheimer’s Disease 
(Biology Project) 
 
Sharan S 
XI C 
Bala Vidya Mandir 

 
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Overview 
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive form of dementia. Dementia is a broader term for 
conditions caused by brain injuries or diseases that negatively affect memory, thinking, 
and behavior. These changes interfere with daily living. 
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Most people with 
the disease get a diagnosis after age 65. If it’s diagnosed before then, it’s generally 
referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s disease. 
 

Discovery  
On November 3, 1906, a clinical psychiatrist and neuroanatomist, Alois Alzheimer, 
reported “A peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex” to the 37th Meeting 
of South-West German Psychiatrists in Tubingen, He described a 50-year-old woman 
whom he had followed from her admission for paranoia, progressive sleep and memory 
disturbance, aggression, and confusion, until her death 5 years later.  

Symptoms 
To receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer's, the person must have experienced a decline in
cognitive or behavioral function and performance compared with how they were
previously. This decline must interfere with their ability to function at work or in usual
activities.

The cognitive decline must be seen in at least two of the five symptom areas listed
below:
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1. Reduced ability to take in and remember new information, which can lead, for
example, to:

● Repetitive questions or conversations

● Misplacing personal belongings
● Forgetting events or appointments
● Getting lost on a familiar route

2. Impairments to reasoning, complex tasking, and exercising judgment, for example:

● Poor understanding of safety risks

● Inability to manage finances
● Poor decision-making ability
● Inability to plan complex or sequential activities

3. Impaired visuospatial abilities that are not, for example, due to eye sight problems.
These could be:

● Inability to recognize faces or common objects or to find objects in direct view

● Inability to use simple tools, for example, to orient clothing to the body

4. Impaired speaking, reading and writing, for example:

● Difficulty thinking of common words while speaking, hesitations

● Speech, spelling, and writing errors

5. Changes in personality and behavior, for example:

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● Out-of-character mood changes, including agitation, apathy, social withdrawal or

a lack of interest, motivation, or initiative
● Loss of empathy
● Compulsive, obsessive, or socially unacceptable behavior

If the number and severity of symptoms confirm dementia, the following factors can then
confirm Alzheimer's.

● A gradual onset, over months to years, rather than hours or days

● A marked worsening of the individual's normal level of cognition in particular
areas

Alzheimer's is most likely when memory loss is a prominent symptom, especially in the
area of learning and recalling new information.Language problems can also be a key
early symptom, for example, struggling to find the right words.

If visuospatial (Visual and Spatial awareness) deficits are most prominent, these would
include:

● Inability to recognize objects and faces

● Difficulty comprehending separate parts of a scene at once
● Difficulty with reading text, known as alexia

The most prominent deficits in executive dysfunction would be to do with reasoning,

judgment, and problem-solving.
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Causes: 
● Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of
proteins in and around brain cells.
● One of the proteins involved is called amyloid, deposits of which form plaques
around brain cells.
● The other protein is called tau, deposits of which form tangles within brain cells.
● As brain cells become affected, there's also a decrease in chemical messengers
(called neurotransmitters) involved in sending messages, or signals, between
brain cells.
● Over time, different areas of the brain shrink. The first areas usually affected are
responsible for memories 

Stages of Decline: 

Stage 1: No Impairment 
During this stage, Alzheimer’s is not detectable and no memory problems or other
symptoms of dementia are evident.

 
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Stage 2: Very Mild Decline 

The senior may notice minor memory problems or lose things around the house,
although not to the point where the memory loss can easily be distinguished from
normal age-related memory loss. The person will still do well on memory tests and the
disease is unlikely to be detected by loved ones or physicians.

Stage 3: Mild Decline 

At this stage, the family members and friends of the senior may begin to notice cognitive
problems. Performance on memory tests are affected and physicians will be able to
detect impaired cognitive function.
People in stage 3 will have difficulty in many areas including:

● Finding the right word during conversations

● Organizing and planning
● Remembering names of new acquaintances
People with stage three Alzheimer’s may also frequently lose personal possessions,
including valuables.

Stage 4: Moderate Decline 

In stage four of Alzheimer’s, clear-cut symptoms of the disease are apparent. People
with stage four of Alzheimer’s:

● Have difficulty with simple arithmetic

● Have poor short-term memory (may not recall what they ate for breakfast,
for example)
● Inability to manage finance and pay bills
● May forget details about their life histories

 
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Stage 5: Moderately Severe Decline 

During the fifth stage of Alzheimer’s, people begin to need help with many day-to-day
activities. People in stage five of the disease may experience:

● Difficulty dressing appropriately

● Inability to recall simple details about themselves such as their own phone
number
● Significant confusion
On the other hand, people in stage five maintain functionality. They typically can still
bath and use the toilet independently. They also usually still know their family members
and some detail about their personal histories, especially their childhood and youth.

Stage 6: Severe Decline 

People with the sixth stage of Alzheimer’s need constant supervision and frequently
require professional care. Symptoms include:

● Confusion or unawareness of environment and surroundings

● Inability to recognize faces except for the closest friends and relatives
● Inability to remember most details of personal history
● Loss of bladder and bowel control
● Major personality changes and potential behavior problems
● The need for assistance with activities of daily living such as toileting and
bathing
● Wandering

Stages 7: Very Severe Decline 

Stage seven is the final stage of Alzheimer’s. Because the disease is a terminal illness,
people in stage seven are nearing death. In stage seven of the disease, people lose the
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ability to communicate or respond to their environment. While they may still be able to
utter words and phrases, they have no insight into their condition and need assistance
with all activities of daily living. In the final stages of Alzheimer’s, people may lose their
ability to swallow.

Treatment and Cure: 

No cure exists, but medication and management strategies may temporarily improve
symptoms. Patients frequently take medication prescribed to improve cognitive
functions. However there is currently no cure.   
 
 
 

Citations: 
Healthline. (2019). E
​ verything You Need to Know About Alzheimer’s Disease​. [online] Available at: 
https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019]. 
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Hanns Hippius, G. (2019). ​The discovery of Alzheimer's disease​. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). 
Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181715/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019]. 

WebMD. (2019). ​Alzheimer's Disease Treatment: Medications and Therapies​. [online] Available at: 
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-disease-treatment-overview#1 [Accessed 24 
Feb. 2019]. 

En.wikipedia.org. (2019). A
​ lzheimer's disease​. [online] Available at: 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].