Alzheimers Disease - What's New?

In the book Alzheimer's Disease: Caregivers Speak Out, by Pam Haisman, one family caregiver states, "I wish everyone understood Alzheimer's disease is the most insidious, inconceivably destructive disease to both patient and caregivers."

Dementia is a loss of intellectual function (thinking, remembering and reasoning) so severe that it interferes with an individual's daily functioning, and eventually results in death. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior.

The disease was first described by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906. Since it was identified, much research has been done and a deeper understanding has developed regarding changes in the brain and behavioral changes characterizing the disease. Men and women are affected almost equally, and known risk factors are age and family history. Though most people diagnosed with AD are older than age 65, the disease can occur in people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.

No Single Test
The Alzheimer's Association says that early and careful evaluation is important because many conditions, including some that are treatable or reversible, can cause dementia. There is currently no single test to identify Alzheimer's. A comprehensive evaluation to establish a diagnosis includes a complete health history, physical examination, neurological and mental status assessment, analysis of blood and urine, electrocardiogram and chest X-rays. A physician will want to note the patient's behavior over time, to understand the person's illness.

Dr. Mike Mullan, MD, PhD, MRCPsych, a professor at the University of South Florida and director of the Roskamp Institute, a research facility in Tampa, was among those researchers who first identified mutations in the B-amyloid precursor protein gene that causes early-onset AD. He stated that the amyloid plaques and tangles found in the brain that are linked to AD can only be observed during autopsy.