What Causes Alzheimers?

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common types of dementia among the elderly. People who are afflicted with Alzheimer's have a greatly reduced capacity to carry out normal daily activities.

Symptoms

• People suffering from Alzheimer's have trouble remembering things. They also may struggle to follow a basic conversation. Furthermore, they frequently become disoriented and may become loss while walking or traveling in familiar surroundings.

Alzheimers and the Brain

• When afflicted with Alzheimer's disease a person's brain tissue begins to degenerate. This degeneration results in the gradual loss of cognitive and memory functions.

Causes

• Alzheimer's is believed to be caused by plaques and tangles, which are both related to brain cell damage. Plaques refer to clumps of a normally harmless protein that, in Alzheimer's patients, seem to interfere with neuron function. Tangles refers to the twisting and distorted shapes taken on by the neurons (brain cells) of those with Alzheimer's.

Mystery

• According to the National Alzheimer's Association, scientists are not sure why these plaques and tangles form, and are uncertain of their direct function as is related to Alzheimer's. However, most experts believe that they somehow block and distort communication between brain cells.

Testing For Alzheimer's

• To test for Alzheimer's a doctor will perform blood work to rule out other conditions. Next, a series of cognitive tests will be performed along with an MRI and/or CT scan of the brain.

Treatment

• As of 2009, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. But a doctor will prescribe medications such as Memenda, Aricept, and Exelon to slow the progression of the disease.