It is not clear what causes Alzheimer's disease, but when someone is afflicted
with that condition, their brain tissue shows accumulation of characteristic
pathology, we refer to them as plaques and tangles. So our understanding is
whatever is causing the accumulation of that pathology is the reason why people
get Alzheimer's disease. We're still trying to figure out what that cause may be.
Predominantly, Alzheimer's disease causes memory loss. So the early signs typically
involve forgetfulness. That's a bit challenging because everyone develops
some degree of forgetfulness as we get older but it's all a question of degree.
Beyond forgetfulness, if there are other neurological symptoms, such as balance
impairment, language difficulty, trouble with making good judgment, those provide
additional clues that maybe there's Alzheimer's disease underlying the
memory loss.
Dementia is a general term, meaning that there is a brain disease causing memory
loss. Alzheimer's disease is the most common
condition that causes dementia, however Alzheimer's disease is not the
only condition that can do this. There are other diseases, like Lewy body
dementia, frontal temporal dementia and so on. When the diagnosis is not entirely
clear, we'll use the general term 'dementia' but
statistically, most people who have dementia actually have Alzheimer's disease.
There is no test that is available for accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's
disease, short of taking a sample of the brain and looking at it under a
microscope. So at autopsy, we can say with certainty whether someone has
Alzheimer's disease. For living patients, we use the diagnostic tests that are
available, including brain imaging and detailed cognitive assessment and a
variety of blood tests. Unfortunately, we don't have accurate tests available
right now to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease but effort is being
made to make such testing available in the future.
There is no proven way to reduce the risk for Alzheimer's disease or dementia.
However, we have a general understanding that our brain is part of our body so
keeping ourselves physically healthy is an excellent way to protect yourself.
Eating a well-balanced diet and an exercise routine - it can all be very
helpful. Additionally, we believe doing mentally
stimulating activity is very helpful for the brain. Doing puzzles, reading books,
whatever activity that one enjoys, they should continue to do them.
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is a good idea because even in the
absence of a cure, it gives the patient an opportunity to prepare for the future
knowing that their condition will continue to worsen over time.
Additionally, diagnosing people with Alzheimer's disease early will give the
researchers an opportunity to try different treatment options with the
hope that we will someday identify a cure for Alzheimer's disease.