Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Approximately 500,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.
What happens?
Alzheimer’s is a result of brain atrophy – the wasting away of the brain due to the loss of nerve cells. In Alzheimer sufferers, the cerebral cortex (the part of the brain that processes thoughts) gradually deteriorates.
The wasting away of the cerebral cortex produces protein residues, referred to as ‘plaques’ and ‘tangles’, which in turn destroy more brain cells and the neurotransmitters that carry messages between the brain and the rest of the body.
The damage inflicted upon the brain is gradual and, as a result of internal and external factors, the pace of the deterioration varies among sufferers.
Symptoms
In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, the sufferer will experience problems with memory loss and communication, which worsen as the condition progresses.
This will affect their ability to learn and adapt to changes, especially in conversation. Decisions will be harder to make due to increased difficulty in retaining information.
As the symptoms vary, owing to external and internal factors, it is often difficult to judge the course of the disease. For example: “In some people a certain symptom may be more exaggerated while in others barely noticeable and ailments may appear earlier or later than expected.”
As Alzheimer’s progresses sufferers will experience hallucinations and delusions claiming to have experienced things that did not occur. They may exhibit obsessive and repetitive behaviour. Their sleeping patterns will be inconsistent and undoubtedly worsen the feelings of frustration and depression that result from their increased problems with speech and language.
People with Alzheimer’s disease tend to forget recent events, which may lead them to repeat themselves.
In the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s the hallucinations and delusions are debilitating. Due to their intensity, sufferers are incapable of looking after themselves and, as a result, other illnesses can be contracted and rapidly develop.
Signs that the disease is approaching its final stages include a complete neglect of personal hygiene and frequent and disruptive hallucinations and delusions that often lead to the sufferer’s feeling of paranoia. These fits are most common at night.