{"id":599,"date":"2022-05-11T19:14:55","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T13:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ravindrapatilneuro.com\/?p=599"},"modified":"2025-09-19T16:28:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T10:58:04","slug":"alzheimers-disease-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ravindrapatilneuro.com\/?p=599","title":{"rendered":"Alzheimer\u2019s Disease-1"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Alzheimer\u2019s\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

What Is Alzheimer\u2019s Disease?<\/h2>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It is a common condition. There are more than 10 lakh cases per year in India. That are more people living with Alzheimer\u2019s disease in India than the total population of medium-sized cities in India like Sangli-Miraj and Kolhapur!<\/p>\n

It must be understood that Alzheimer\u2019s disease is not the suffering of only one person, who is the patient. The family of the Alzheimer’s patient and friends and neighbours of the Alzheimer’s patient also experience Alzheimer’s disease because of the patient. The reason is the behaviour of the patient has to be tolerated and people around a patient have to make adjustments. Because Alzheimer\u2019s disease is not like fever, pain, cancer or a broken bone. It is a disease in which the mental capacity and behaviour of the patient change. Many Alzheimer’s patients are 65 years or older.<\/p>\n

The symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s disease are changes in thinking, remembering, reasoning, and behaviour. All the symptoms together are known as dementia. That\u2019s why Alzheimer\u2019s is sometimes referred to as \u2018dementia\u2019. While other diseases and conditions also cause dementia, Alzheimer\u2019s is the most common cause of dementia in older adults.
Alzheimer\u2019s disease is not a normal part of ageing. It\u2019s the result of complex changes in the brain that start years before symptoms appear and lead to the loss of brain cells and their connections.
The doctor who first described this disease was Alois Alzheimer<\/a> [1864-1915]<\/strong>\u00a0a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist and a colleague of Emil Kraepelin. Alzheimer’s is credited with identifying the first published case of \u2018presenile dementia. Later Kraepelin the disease with dementia as the major symptom of Alzheimer’s disease after Alois Alzheimer.<\/p>\n

Understanding Different Types of Dementia<\/h2>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/h4>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s disease is the most common form of dementia. Around 60% of people suffering from dementia have Alzheimer\u2019s disease.
However, there are other types of dementias. They have to be excluded before firmly labeling a patient as an Alzheimer\u2019s disease patient.<\/p>\n

Vascular dementia<\/h4>\n

Around 17% of people diagnosed with dementia will have vascular dementia. It is the second most common form of dementia in the over 65 age group.<\/p>\n

Frontotemporal dementia<\/h4>\n

Frontotemporal dementia is the third most common dementia in people under the age of 65, but it occurs less in the over 65 age group.<\/p>\n

Mixed dementia<\/h4>\n

At least one in every ten people with dementia is diagnosed as having more than one type, or mixed dementia.<\/p>\n

Alcohol related brain damage<\/h4>\n

Alcohol related brain damage is caused by drinking alcohol excessively over a prolonged period of time.<\/p>\n

Posterior cortical atrophy<\/h4>\n

Posterior cortical atrophy is a rare form of dementia which people usually develop between the ages of 50 and 65 and often affects their sight.<\/p>\n

Huntington’s disease<\/h4>\n

Huntington\u2019s disease is a genetic disorder caused by a faulty gene on chromosome 4. A protein called Huntingtin usually helps nerve cells develop but when faulty it can damage them instead and this mainly occurs in the areas of the brain responsible for movement, learning, cognition, and emotions (basal ganglia and cerebral cortex). Huntington\u2019s Disease is primarily thought of as a condition of motor function \u2013 that is, it affects the person\u2019s movement. But there can be damage to the brain which can develop into dementia.<\/p>\n

The first signs of Huntington\u2019s disease are more commonly seen in the 30\u201350-year age group but current research indicates that about 10% of cases can appear after the age of 60 years and 5-10% of cases under the age of 18 years (known as juvenile Huntington\u2019s disease).<\/p>\n

Parkinson’s disease<\/h4>\n

It is estimated that Parkinson\u2019s disease<\/a> affects about 1 in 500 people, most commonly in those over 50. Parkinson\u2019s disease is a condition in which a part of the brain called the substantia nigra loses nerve cells. This loss of nerve cells results in a reduction of a substance called dopamine which is important for the regulation of movement of the body. As the dopamine levels decrease the person\u2019s movements become slower. Most people with a diagnosis of Parkinson\u2019s do not go on to develop dementia \u2013 although one-third of Parkinson\u2019s disease patients will suffer dementia, usually in the later stages. This is known as \u2018Parkinson\u2019s disease with dementia and may also be referred to as Lewy body dementia. About one-fifth of people diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease are under 40 years old but it is more common in the over 50s.<\/p>\n

Lewy body dementia<\/h4>\n

Lewy body dementia is a progressive condition that affects movement and motor control. It may be associated with Parkinson\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

What Causes Alzheimer\u2019s?<\/h4>\n

A small number of people have an inherited form called Familial Alzheimer\u2019s disease (FAD) which is caused by a faulty gene that runs within families. People with FAD typically first develop symptoms before the age of 65, most commonly in their 40s or 50s. \u00a0<\/p>\n

People with Down\u2019s syndrome and other learning disabilities can also develop dementia at an early age. If people with Down\u2019s syndrome develop dementia, it is usually Alzheimer\u2019s disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The exact cause of Alzheimer\u2019s disease is unknown but we do know that \u2018plaques\u2019 and \u2018tangles\u2019 form in the brain due to two proteins called amyloid (plaques) and tau (tangles).<\/p>\n

Amyloid is a naturally occurring protein that for a reason that is not yet understood begins to malfunction, creating beta-amyloid which is toxic to the brain cells. Plaques form in the brain and they consist of dead cells and amyloid protein.<\/p>\n

Tau protein naturally occurs in the brain and helps brain cells communicate with each other but for a reason that is not yet understood it can become abnormal and it \u2018clumps together\u2019 leading to the death of the brain cells affected.<\/p>\n

People diagnosed with Alzheimer\u2019s may additionally have a reduction of a chemical in the brain called acetylcholine. Acetylcholine functions as a chemical messenger to take information to and from brain cells (called neurons), so a reduction in this chemical leads to information not being transmitted effectively.<\/p>\n

How does Alzheimer\u2019s develop?<\/h4>\n

Alzheimer\u2019s develops very gradually. Research suggests that changes in the brain can occur up to ten years before a person starts to show symptoms of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. The symptoms are usually mild at the beginning and gradually worsen over time. These may include:<\/p>\n