Dementia and Consider Memory Disorders Essay

Submitted By raymondjr86
Words: 880
Pages: 4

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most frequent causes of dementia (weak-mindedness) at elderly and senile age. Dementia is characterized by the expressed decline of intellectual functions of the person with ability disorders of surrounding conditions and independent actions. The disease is called by the name of A. Alzheimer, who described this form of illness in 1906. In the absence of treatment the disease steadily progresses and leads to the destruction of all mental functions. The etiologies of Alzheimer’s disease are not finally found out. There is a lot of data, testifying to the hereditary nature of the disease. However, there are the cases not caused by the hereditary predisposition, especially at later onset of the disease. Alzheimer’s disease can begin after the age of 50, but more often arises after 70 and especially after 80.

Alzheimer’s disease is the disease connected with the destruction of brain cells and leading to a heavy frustration of memory, intelligence, other cognitive functions, and also to serious problems in emotional and behavioral spheres. “Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. It now afflicts nearly 4 million Americans. These numbers are expected to increase dramatically as the U.S. population ages. By the year 2050 approximately 14.5 million people will suffer from Alzheimer’s disease” (Handy: 1998) Alzheimer’s disease is insidious and develops gradually. It affects not old and full of strength people. The first signs of disease are memory and attention disorders. New information is perceived worse. A person becomes forgetful, absent-minded, current events are substituted by the revival of memoirs in the past. As a rule, early stages of the disease are marked by time orientation disorders. The representation about time sequence of events is broken. In other cases illness begins with changes in character of the elderly person. He becomes rough, selfish, apathetic, inherent earlier personal features are erased. The first displays of Alzheimer’s disease can be delirium, hallucinations and long depressions. At an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease patients seldom consult the doctor, especially if there are no mental disorders. As a rule, relatives of the patient consider memory disorders and character changes as displays of natural aging. Meanwhile, the treatment begun at an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease is the most effective one. At present there are methods of the neuropsychological and tool examination, allowing diagnosing correctly even at early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging and it is not something that inevitably transpires in later life. Alzheimer's is one of the dementing disorders, a group of brain diseases that lead to the loss of mental and physical functions. The disorder, whole cause is unknown, affects a diminutive but consequential percentage of older Americans. A diminutively minuscule minority of Alzheimer’s patients are under 50 years of age. However, most are over 65. Only 5 to 6 percent of older people are afflicted by Alzheimer’s disease or a cognate dementia but this designates approximately 3 to 4 million Americans have one of these debilitating disorders. Research designates that 1 percent of the population aged 65-75 has astringent dementia, incrementing to 7 percent of those aged 75-85 and to 25 percent of those 85 or older. As out population ages and the number of Alzheimer’s patient’s increases, costs of care will elevate as well.

At the further progressing of Alzheimer’s disease the symptoms of dementia become obvious. Patients do not know the date, month and year; can be easily lost in a familiar place, and not always understand, where they are; do not learn