Alzheimers Disease

Amma, Michelle, Liz, and Khyliah

A daughter brought
in her 78 year old
father, Mark, to be
seen for memory
loss...
Symptoms

Former mathematician cannot remember simple calculations

Having trouble recognizing family and friends

Mixing up names of relatives

Forgot how to play a card game

Trouble controlling emotions

Misplacing items
Diagnosis

Diagnosing Alzheimers Disease correctly can help in several ways:

More time to make plans
Lessened anxieties about unknown problems
Increased chances of participating in advanced research
Time to figure out financial and legal matters
Time to develop a relationship with doctors and caregivers
Benefit from care and support services,
It makes it easier to manage the disease.
Background on Alzheimers

Damage to the brain can begin up to a decade before symptoms occur

In a healthy brain, the Beta amyloid protein is cut up by the amyloid precursor protein
and then eliminated

In an Alzheimers brain, the amyloid protein is absent;therefore, the Beta protein

builds up a plaque in between neurons. The plaque keeps neurons from connecting to
other neurons.

Also, in an Alzheimers Brain, the ventricles are enlarged causing a shrunken brain
size.

The smaller size affects the hippocampus, sulcus, gyrus, and even areas of language
understanding.
Prognosis

There is no single test that can show whether a person has

Alzheimer's. Diagnosing Alzheimer's requires careful medical
evaluation, including:
A thorough medical history

Mental status testing

A physical and neurological exam

Tests (such as blood tests and brain imaging) to rule out other causes of
dementia-like symptoms
Professionals

Psychiatrists: who specialize in disorders that affect mood or the

way the mind works
Psychologists: with special training in testing memory and other
mental functions