World Alzheimer’s Day
Sharing information about Alzheimer
September is World Alzheimer’s Awareness month and our last post about Alzheimer’s disease will be to raise awareness about the disease. Firstly, it would be best explaining what Alzheimer’s disease is and its origin. The disease is named after Alois Alzheimer – a German psychiatrist – who discovered it for the first time in 1901 in a 50-year-old German lady. As the disease spread in its scope and severity, people felt the need to institute a body dedicated to the fight against this incurable illness. For many years the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease were similar, and as a result concluded in the symptoms of senile dementia.
Dementia is an acquired and chronic mental disorder syndrome. It is a general term for the loss of memory, language and other cognitive abilities. Forms of dementia are classified according to the DSM-5 into two categories, major neurocognitive disorder (MND) and mild neurocognitive disorder. Neurocognitive impairment (NCD) is defined as evidence of significant cognitive decline from a previous level and a decline in neurocognitive performance. Cognitive deficits are so significant that they interfere with the patient’s ability to function independently but it must not be due to another mental disorder such as depression.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. It is a neurodegenerative disease of the brain caused by complex brain changes after cell damage typically accumulation of the harmful protein tau in brain neurons but the causes of the disease still remain unknown.The disease leads to symptoms of dementia such as short-term memory problems that gradually worsen over time. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering new information, because the disease usually first affects the part of the brain associated with learning. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe and include disorientation, confusion, and behavioral changes. Finally, speaking, swallowing and walking become difficult.Though this is one explanation, the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is still mostly unknown except for 1-2% of cases and several hypotheses attempt to explain the underlying cause.
The main purpose of World Alzheimer’s Awareness month is to “Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer” as made known from the Alzheimer’s Disease International. In the effort of raising awareness we want to list the early symptoms of the disease. Among the reasons for the late diagnosis is that the signs and symptoms, at the early stages of Alzheimers’s Disease, are sometimes not recognised and/or mistaken for signs of old age or symptoms of other conditions.
The most noticeable deficit is short term memory loss. It appears to be difficult to remember recent facts and inability to acquire new information. It is also known for people with AD to forget about recent conversations, names and misplace items. Other symptoms include problems with abstract thinking or impairments in semantic memory (memory of meanings) causing trouble thinking of the right. These early symptoms can affect the most complex activities of daily living such as self care activities.
The World Alzheimer day is dedicated to promote awareness for pre-diagnosis and post-diagnosis support. At least 75% of people with dementia are not diagnosed globally, and they can’t have access to proper help. It is important to recognize the early symptoms, but also to support the health, social and psychological wellbeing of people with dementia and their carers after diagnosis.
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