Alzheimer's Disease & Episodic Memory

Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive, degenerative and ultimately fatal brain condition. Within the brain itself, the degeneration of tissue is usually attributed to the development of plaques and tangles. Plaques are deposits of fatty tissues in the brain. Tangles are protein deposits inside brain cells that are believed to contribute to cellular death. Alzheimer's Disease has a profound effect on episodic memory (memories of an autobiographical nature).

Early Stage

• Alzheimer's Disease attacks the temporal lobe of the brain, which includes the hippocampus. The temporal lobe and hippocampus are key to the development of new memories. This is why one of the first signs of Alzheimer's is persistent memory problems with new information, including new episodic memories.

Moderate stage

• As Alzheimer's Disease worsens and the deterioration of brain tissue worsens, the recollection of older episodic memories also deteriorates with it.

Late Stage

• In the later stage of the disease, there can be an almost complete lack of episodic memory, making this a type of amnesia.

Drug Treatments

• The decline of memory and learning can be temporarily mitigated through drug treatments affecting acetylcholine and glutamate (chemicals related to memory and learning). The duration of the effectiveness of these drugs is variable depending on stage of the condition and recipient.

Outlook

• The research regarding Alzheimer's Disease is ongoing and becoming more of a priority as a large segment of the world population is aging. There is, however, no cure for the condition.