Alzheimer’s disease | Most common form of dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. It mainly occurs in people over 65 and around 70% of people in this age group with dementia have this type.

Alzheimer’s disease is caused by a build up of proteins in the brain called plaques and tangles. These proteins are nothing to do with the protein we eat, but are proteins called amyloid and tau. These are produced naturally while tau is essential for healthy brain function, amyloid is toxic.

When these proteins build up or become tangled, they interfere with messaging between brain cells and thereby damage the brain’s ability to function.

Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

Age is the most prevalent factor in developing Alzheimer’s disease. Many older people experience minor cognitive decline but if they have Alzheimer’s, these symptoms will worsen over months or years. Early on, people can often continue their lives as normal but late-stage dementia can impair people’s ability to function, talk or even walk.

Alzheimer’s disease can occur in people under 65 so if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, particularly if they are worsening, speak to your GP.

• Memory loss, particularly in retaining new information as opposed to remembering things from your past
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating, such as on a conversation, book or TV programme
• Difficulty with analysing. This could be struggling to weigh up options when deciding what to do next or finding brainteasers and puzzles much harder than you used to
• Often not knowing what day or time of day it without looking at a clock or calendar
• Losing things
• Being unable to complete daily tasks or continuing with social commitments due to poor memory or confusion.

Assessment for Alzheimer’s disease

If you suspect that you or a loved one may be developing Alzheimer’s disease, speak to your GP who will arrange an assessment.

A cognitive assessment is performed by a medical professional with questions such as, ‘Who is the current prime minister?’ to test your awareness. They will then use pictures, cards or text to test your memory, analysis skills and ability to concentrate. They may do tasks such as slowly and clearly saying a list of words and seeing how many of them you can remember straight away and after a few minutes.

This medical professional will score you in each aspect of cognitive function and liaise with your doctor. You won’t necessarily be diagnosed with dementia if your scores are low, they will take into account other factors such as your medical history and lifestyle.

Treatment for Alzheimer’s disease

As yet, there isn’t a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and approximately one in three people with the disease will eventually die from it. The disease can be managed and even slowed with medication and lifestyle changes.

Medications called cholinesterase inhibitors can improve brain function and cognitive ability. They are often prescribed alongside a drug called memantine, which has similar effects.

Leading a healthy lifestyle can also improve symptoms, such as not smoking, not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol regular exercise and getting enough sleep. Daily brain exercises can also be helpful, such as sudoku or crosswords. Learning a second language has been found to improve connections in the brain.

Current research into Alzheimer’s disease

Named for the man who identified these plaques and tangles, Alois Alzheimer, Alzheimer’s disease is one of the best understood forms of dementia with a lot of research being done to find a cure all over the world. Given that Alois Alzheimer made his discovery little over  a hundred years ago, investigations into the disease are making good progress and the future looks bright.

Here in the UK, there are many ongoing projects into the diagnosis, prevention of, risk factors, symptoms, understanding and possible treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. These range from ‘What role does the tau protein play in dementia?’ to ‘Understanding the link between dementia and hearing loss’. To read more about current studies, visit Alzheimer’s Research UK’s projects page.

If you would like to donate towards research into Alzheimer’s disease, you can donate to Alzheimer’s Research UK.