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Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting over 4 million Americans. It is a degenerative disease that attacks the brain, begins gradually, and progresses at a variable rate. Alzheimer's disease results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior, and can last from 3 to 20 years from the time of onset of symptoms.
- Recent memory loss that affects job/home skills;
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks;
- Problems with language;
- Disorientation as to time and place;
- Poor or decreased judgment;
- Problems with abstract thinking;
- Misplacing things;
- Changes in mood or behavior;
- Changes in personality; and
- Loss of initiative.
In the last stages of AD, patients are unable to take care of themselves. Recent research has shown links between particular genes and AD, but in about 90% of AD cases, there is no clear genetic link.
With the help of standardized diagnostic criteria, physicians can now diagnose Alzheimer's disease with an accuracy of 85-90% once symptoms occur. However, a definitive diagnosis of AD is possible only through the examination of brain tissue at autopsy.
