Signs & Symptoms & Stages of Alzheimer's

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disorder that impairs normal neurological functions such as memory and cognition. As the disease progresses, cells throughout the body begin to die, causing the sufferer to advance from mild forgetfulness to neurological decline and ultimately to death.

Signs

• Signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, problems with language and general disorientation to time and place.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include difficulty with conceptual thinking, repetitively misplacing effects, sudden changes in behavior and disposition, changes in personality that negatively effect judgment and general loss of energy and initiative.

Stage 1

• The first two to four years with Alzheimer's are characterized by frequent memory loss, particularly of recent conversations and events. There may also be repeated questions, problems expressing and understanding language and general difficulty with eye-hand coordination.

Stage 2

• The next five to seven years with Alzheimer's are characterized by pervasive memory loss, confused speech and reasoning and perplexity regarding time and place. Individuals may become lost in familiar surroundings, and sleep disturbances and mood disorders---depression, apathy and anger---become prominent.

Stage 3

• The final few years of Alzheimer's are characterized by confusion about time and near total inability to distinguish familiar people and places. The individual is generally debilitated with severe or total loss of verbal skills and mobility. Mood disorders can be extreme, with delirium exacerbating difficulties with swallowing, incontinence and general illness.