1. ALZHEIMER'S
DISEASE

2. WHAT IS ALZHEIMER’S?
 Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia.
 It is a neurodegenerative disease that occurs in the
brain.
 Alzheimer’s disease causes a deterioration in the brain
by destroying the nerve cells. Once the nerve cells
begin to deteriorate it causes a reduction of responses
to other nerve cells.
 The condition spreads out causing chemical
interruptions, the transmission of impulses is slow, and
finally tissues in the brain begin to get worse.
 In Alzheimer’s disease, nerve cells in the brain die
gradually. This makes it increasingly difficult for your
brain’s signals to be sent properly.
 There are 7 stages of Alzheimer's

3. HOW YOU GET THE DISEASE?
 They still don’t know how the Alzheimer’s disease
process begins, it seems likely that damage to the
brain starts a decade or more before problems
become evident.
 People who have relatives with Alzheimer’s have a
higher risk than the general population for
developing the disease.
 People who have a parent or sibling with
Alzheimer's disease are 3.5 times as likely to
develop it.
 This strong tendency of Alzheimer's disease to run
in families is due, in part, to mutations in
certain genes.

4. WHERE DOES ALZHEIMER’S AFFECT YOU IN
THE BODY?
 Alzheimer’s affects the brain.
 Alzheimer's causes neurons to die which causes the
brain to shrink. This leads to a loss of functioning
capabilities in almost all parts of brain, not just the ones
that affect memory.
 This leads to the formation of clumps and tangles within
the brain and eventually leads to death.
 When you have Alzheimer’s the cerebral cortex shrinks
massively. The cerebral cortex is the outer surface of the
brain and it is responsible for all intellectual functioning.
 The spaces in the folds of the brain (the sulci) are
grossly enlarged.
 You cannot catch or spread Alzheimer’s

5. Normal Brain Alzheimer’s Brain

6. WHEN DO YOU GET ALZHEIMER'S?
 Alzheimer’s disease can occur at any age, even as
young as 40 years, but its occurrence is much more
common as the years go by
 Early Alzheimer's starts at 65 years of age or younger.
Late Alzheimer's starts after age 65
 One in ten people over 65 years of age suffer from the
disease, and over half the people over 85 have
Alzheimer’s disease.
 At first the symptoms are difficult to recognise.
 In the first 2 stages of Alzheimer's you cannot recognise
that you have it.
 Often it is difficult to pinpoint when the Alzheimer’s
disease actually began in a person.

7. SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER'S
 Short term memory loss – forgetting recent
events, names and places
 Difficulty performing familiar tasks
 Disorientation especially away from your normal
surroundings
 Increasing problems with planning and managing
 Trouble with language
 Rapid, unpredictable mood swings
 Lack of motivation
 Changes in sleep and confusion about the time of day
 Reduced judgement e.g. being unaware of danger

8. 7 STAGES OF ALZHEIMER’S
 Stage 1: Normal
 Stage 2: Normal aged forgetfulness
 Stage 3: Mild cognitive impairment
 Stage 4: Mild Alzheimer’s
 Stage 5: Moderate Alzheimer’s disease
 Stage 6: Moderately severe Alzheimer's
disease
 Stage 7: Severe Alzheimer's disease

9. CURE AND TREATMENT FOR ALZHEIMER’S
 Currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. However
there are several drugs that may be prescribed to
help people with Alzheimer’s. They are not a
cure, but can help with some of the symptoms of
the disease.
 Drugs such as donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine
(Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) are used to
treat symptoms in Alzheimer's disease.
 Antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, and
antipsychotics are used to treat the symptoms of
depression, anxiety, agitation, and the
hallucinations and delusions that may occur in
Alzheimer's disease patients