Alzheimer's



Alzheimer's

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is not an easy disease to diagnose by what at first is by eliminating multiple tests done. The greater the number of tests used in the detection, the greater the reliability of diagnosis. However, not worth using large number of them since the cost would be too high relative to the benefits. Currently the diagnosis occurs when already begun the manifestations of the disease and there is no treatment that prevents its natural evolution.

In the early stages, the symptoms can be subtle and resemble signs that people mistakenly attributed to "normal aging."Symptoms include one or more of the following (Isaac, 2008):

Misplacing things

Repeating statements

Difficulty remembering the name of common objects

Getting lost on common routes

Personality changes

Losing interest in things previously enjoyed

Difficulty performing tasks that take some thought, but used to come easily, and keep track of use of the checkbook, playing complex games and learning new information or routines.

In a more advanced stage, symptoms are more obvious and may include:

Forgetting details about current events

Forgetting events in life, losing awareness of who you are

Problems choosing proper clothing

Hallucinations, arguments, striking out, and violent behavior

Delirium, depression and agitation

Difficulty performing basic tasks such as preparing meals and driving

In the final stages of the disease, the person can no longer live without assistance. Most people at this stage (Russell, 2007):

We do not be acquainted with the language

No longer distinguish family members

They are no longer able to perform the basic activities of daily living such as eating, dressing and bathing

The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease the following process (Isaac, 2008):

History: the doctor will have to evaluate the medical history of the patient and his family.

Neuropsychological examination: the doctor will have to ensure that the symptoms presented are from a form of dementia.

There are three possibilities for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (Russell, 2007):

Possible: clinical symptoms and two or more deterioration of cognitive functions.

Probable: as in the diagnosis of possible alterations must exist two or more clinical symptoms and cognitive functions. Unlike before, there should be a second disease to be the cause of dementia.

Cognitive Loss

The Parkinson disease not only compromises the patient's motor system, but, among other manifestations, causes cognitive changes that may be present early in the disease. These changes may progress with advancing time, setting up a dementia. The dementia associated with PD is highly prevalent and causes significant impairment of quality of life. Better knowledge about risk factors and greater understanding of the biological mechanisms involved in dementia associated with PD may involve some form of preventing the development of cognitive changes (Aarsland, 2003).

The pathophysiology of dementia associated with PD is not completely understood, but are believed to be responsible for its installation: decreased frontal lobe activity resulting from decreased afferent dopaminergic, cholinergic degeneration of subcortical nuclei, the presence of cortical Lewy bodies and Neuropathological evidence of Alzheimer's disease.

The striking cognitive changes of dementia associated with PD are visuospatial deficits, memory changes and cognitive impairment associated with frontal lobe malfunction, translated as impairment of working memory and executive functions. This mosaic of neuropsychological generates a unique profile ...