ALZHIMER’S DISEASE

The signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) vary based on the stage of the
condition. In general, the symptoms of AD involve a gradual decline in some, most or
all of the following:

 Memory.
 Reasoning and handling of complex tasks.
 Language.
 Understanding visual form and space relationship.
 Behavior and personality.

People with memory loss or other signs of Alzheimer’s may have difficulty
recognizing their mental decline. These signs may be more obvious to loved ones.
Anyone experiencing dementia-like symptoms should see a healthcare provider as
soon as possible.

Symptoms of the mild stage of Alzheimer’s dementia

Symptoms of AD become noticeable in the mild stage. The most common early
symptom is forgetting newly learned information, especially recent events, places
and names.

Other signs and symptoms of mild Alzheimer’s include:

 Having difficulty finding the right words to express thoughts.

 Losing or misplacing objects more than usual.
 Having difficulty making plans or organizing.
 Having difficulty problem-solving.
 Taking longer to complete routine daily tasks.

Most people in the mild stage of AD have no problem recognizing familiar faces and
can usually travel to familiar places.

Symptoms of the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s

Moderate Alzheimer’s is typically the longest stage and can last many years. People
in the moderate stage of Alzheimer’s often require care and assistance.

People in this stage may:

 Have increased memory loss and confusion, often forgetting events or details
about their life, such as their telephone number or where they went to school.
 Have growing confusion about which day of the week it is, which season
they’re in and where they are.
 Have poor short-term memory.
 Have some difficulty recognizing friends and family.
 Repeat stories, thoughts or events that are on their minds.
 Have difficulty with simple math.
  Need help with self-care, such as bathing, grooming, showering and using the
bathroom.
 Experience more personality changes, including being agitated or acting out.
They may show depression, apathy or anxiety as the disease progresses.
 Develop groundless suspicions about family, friends and caregivers
(delusions).
 Develop urinary incontinence and/or fecal (bowel) incontinence.
 Have sleep disturbances.
 Begin to wander from their living area.

Symptoms of the severe stage of Alzheimer’s

In the final stage of Alzheimer’s, dementia symptoms are severe. People in this
stage need extensive care.

In the severe stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the person often:

 Has almost total memory loss.

 Is unaware of their surroundings.
 Needs help with all basic activities of everyday living, such as eating, sitting
up and walking.
 Loses their ability to communicate. Their speech becomes limited to a few
words or phrases.
 Becomes vulnerable to infections, especially pneumonia and skin infections.

What causes Alzheimer’s disease?

An abnormal build-up of proteins in your brain causes Alzheimer’s disease. The

build-up of these proteins — amyloid protein and tau protein — causes brain cells to
die.

The human brain contains over 100 billion nerve cells and other cells. The nerve
cells work together to fulfill all the communications needed to perform functions such
as thinking, learning, remembering and planning.

Scientists believe that amyloid protein builds up in your brain cells, forming larger
masses called plaques. Twisted fibers of another protein called tau form into tangles.
These plaques and tangles block the communication between nerve cells, which
prevents them from carrying out their processes.

The slow and ongoing death of the nerve cells results in the symptoms of
Alzheimer’s disease. Nerve cell death starts in one area of your brain (usually in the
area of your brain that controls memory — the hippocampus) and then spreads to
other areas.

Despite ongoing research, scientists still don’t know what exactly causes these
proteins to build up. So far, they believe that a genetic mutation may cause early-
onset Alzheimer’s. They think that late-onset Alzheimer’s happens due to a complex
series of brain changes that may occur over decades. A combination of genetic,
environmental and lifestyle factors likely contribute to the cause.
1. Normal ageing - While some mild changes in cognition are considered a normal part of the
aging process, dementia is not. Normal age-related declines are subtle and mostly affect
thinking speed and attention.
2. Mild cognitive impairment- Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the stage between the expected
decline in memory and thinking that happens with age and the more serious decline of
dementia. MCI may include problems with memory, language or judgment.
3. Mild Alzheimer’s- Problems with memory and thinking may become more noticeable to friends
and family and also begin to affect daily life. Symptoms of mild dementia due to Alzheimer's
disease include: having difficulty remembering newly learned information.
[Link]
 4. Pre-dementia - early symptoms of dementia reduced concentration. personality or behaviour
changes. apathy and withdrawal or depression. loss of ability to do everyday tasks.
last for 2 years.
5. Alzheimer’s- Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. It is a progressive
disease beginning with mild memory loss and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on
a conversation and respond to the environment. Alzheimer's disease involves parts of the
brain that control thought, memory, and language.
6. Dementia - Dementia is not a specific disease but is rather a general term for the impaired
ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia. Though dementia mostly affects
older adults, it is not a part of normal aging.
7. Early onset Alzheimer’s - Alzheimer disease most commonly affects older adults, but it can also
affect people in their 30s or 40s. When Alzheimer disease occurs in someone under age 65, it
is known as early-onset (or younger-onset) Alzheimer disease. A very small number of people
with Alzheimer disease have the early-onset form.
8. Early Alzheimer’s - the early stage of Alzheimer's, a person may function independently. He or
she may still drive, work and be part of social activities. Despite this, the person may feel as if
he or she is having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar words or the location of
everyday objects.
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Only select option 2

Mild/early- 5 to 8
moderate – 7 to 15

MEDICATION FDA CONDITION LINKS

APPROVAL
Lequembi January 6, mild cognitive [Link]
2023 impairment or mild [Link]#:~:text=The%20U.S.
dementia stage of %20Food%20and%20Drug,approval
%20on%20July%206%2C%202023.
disease,
 SIDE EFFECTS-
same as POLKAYO
razadyne 12/22/2004. mild to moderate [Link]
dementia of the drugsatfda_docs/nda/
Alzheimer’s type (1) 2004/021615s000_RazadyneTOC.cf
m#:~:text=Approval%20Date%3A
%2012%2F22%2F2004
[Link]
drugsatfda_docs/label/
2017/021169Orig1s032,021224Orig
1s030,[Link]

aricept 1996 mild, moderate, and [Link]

severe Alzheimer’s drugsatfda_docs/label/
Disease 2012/020690s035,021720s008,0225
The most common [Link]
adverse reactions in
clinical studies of ARICEPT
are nausea, diarrhea,
insomnia, vomiting,
muscle cramps, fatigue,
and anorexia
namenda 10/16/2003. moderate to severe [Link]
Alzheimer’s disease. [Link]

aduhelum DISCONTIUE [Link]

On January 31,
2024,
[Link]

exelon Jun 28, 2013 [Link] all stages of [Link]

Alzheimer's. news/media-releases/novartis-
[Link] to moderate exelon-patch-now-fda-approved-
dementia of the treat-patients-across-all-stages-
Alzheimer's type and alzheimers-disease
mild to moderate
dementia associated
with Parkinson's
disease
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3. pcp

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selection- no and not sure