What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

• Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia.
• It is a progressive disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry     on a conversation and respond to the environment.
• Alzheimer’s disease involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.
• It can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities.

Symptoms

Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer's disease. Early signs include difficulty remembering recent events or conversations. But memory gets worse and other symptoms develop as the disease progresses.

At first, someone with the disease may be aware of having trouble remembering things and thinking clearly. As symptoms get worse, a family member or friend may be more likely to notice the issues.

Brain changes associated with Alzheimer's disease lead to growing trouble with:

Memory

Everyone has memory lapses at times, but the memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease persists and gets worse. Over time, memory loss affects the ability to function at work or at home.

People with Alzheimer's disease may:

• Repeat statements and questions over and over.
• Forget conversations, appointments or events.
• Misplace items, often putting them in places that don't make sense.
• Get lost in places they used to know well.
• Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects.
• Have trouble finding the right words for objects, expressing thoughts or taking part in conversations.

Thinking and reasoning

Alzheimer's disease causes difficulty concentrating and thinking, especially about abstract concepts such as numbers.

Doing more than one task at once is especially difficult. It may be challenging to manage finances, balance checkbooks and pay bills on time. Eventually, a person with Alzheimer's disease may be unable to recognize and deal with numbers.

Changes in personality and behavior

Brain changes that occur in Alzheimer's disease can affect moods and behaviors. Problems may include the following:

• Depression.
• Loss of interest in activities.
• Social withdrawal.
• Mood swings.
• Distrust in others.
• Anger or aggression.
• Changes in sleeping habits.
• Wandering.
• Loss of inhibitions.
• Delusions, such as believing something has been stolen.

Causes

The exact causes of Alzheimer's disease aren't fully understood. But at a basic level, brain proteins fail to function as usual. This disrupts the work of brain cells, also called neurons, and triggers a series of events. The neurons become damaged and lose connections to each other. They eventually die.

Lifelong learning and social engagement

Studies have found that socializing and engaging in activities that stimulate the mind throughout life can lower the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Low education levels — less than a high school education — appear to be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.