Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder that causes memory loss and cognitive decline. It was first described in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer. It is the most common form of dementia. Early symptoms are often mistaken for normal aging, but as it progresses, it can cause confusion, mood and behavior changes, problems with language, and long-term memory loss. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, though some drugs can temporarily slow the worsening of symptoms. The cause involves plaques and tangles that disrupt communication between brain cells and lead to brain cell death.

1. Alzheimer’s Disease &
Memory
By: Erica Gaspard
ECE 275, Summer 2012

2. Background Information
 First described by
Alois Alzheimer in
1906
 Most common form of
Dementia
German Psychiatrist
and
Neuropathologist

3. Facts & Figures
 A progressive, degenerative, and fatal.
 Most often diagnosed in people 65 and older

Approximate life expectancy is 7 years post diagnosis
 About 3% of diagnosed make it 14 or more years
 Early symptoms are often mistake for “age-related”
concerns
 No cure for this disease
 One of the MOST costly diseases in today’s society!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In1IJocVor8

4. Signs and Symptoms
 Confusion or difficulty remembering recent events
 Irritability with aggression
 Mood swings
 Trouble with words and language
 Long-term memory loss
 Eventual loss of body function and control

Resulting in death
 ALL SYMPTOMS CAUSE THE AFFECTED PERSON
TO WITHDRAW FROM FAMILY AND SOCIETY.

5. Progression of Alzheimer’s:
Pre-Dementia
 Experience problems with executive functions of
attention.
 The symptoms are associated with aging/stress since
they most often affect Daily Living Activities.
 Forget whole experiences
 Never can recall forgotten information
 Lose ability to follow instructions
 Find less benefit in/from memory aides such as notes
and lists

6. Progression of Alzheimer’s:
Early Stages
 Experience problems with language (shrinking
vocabulary) and more executive functions
 Problem with perception and movement
 Memory becomes further affected in the episodic,
semantic, and implict
 Affected person may require assistance/supervision with
the more demanding activities.

7. Progression of Alzheimer’s:
Moderate Stage
 Memory problems continue to worsen.
 Long-term memory becomes impaired
 Behavioral & neuropsychiatric changes are prevalent
now.

Recognizable by wandering, irritability, outbursts of
aggression, and language issues
 Affected person will fail to recognize family and close
relatives

8. Progression of Alzheimer’s:
Advanced Stage
 Language becomes single words or is gone completely.
 Affected person experiences extreme apathy and
exhausted.
 Becomes completely bedridden due to complete loss of
muscle mass and mobility.
 Affected person is COMPLETELY dependent on others
for help.

9. Cause of Alzheimer’s Disease
 The presence of two specific anatomic abnormalities:

Plaques: deposits of proteins called Beta-Amyloids

Tangles: twisted fibers of Tau proteins
 Researchers believe a deterioration of cell bodies,
dendrites, and axons takes place.

Disrupts/blocks communication among nerve cells
• Overall result = Gross atrophy of cells and surrounding regions.

10. Treatment
 Only known treatment currently is cholinergic drugs:

an enzyme blocker that works by restoring the balance of natural
substances (neurotransmitters) in the brain
• Tacrine
• Donepezil
• Rivastigmine
• Galantemine

11. EBSCO Article
 Since Alzheimer’s is characterized by memory loss, was
speculated that different patterns of repetition would
show this too.
 Found that an increasing amount of physical information
was needed – bottom up processes.
 End result was that the longer the lag time between
picture and answer, the more information was forgotten.

12. Bibliography
 “Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet.” National Institutes of Health:
National Institutes on Aging. 27 June 2012. 8 Aug. 2012.
<http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/
publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet>
 “What is Alzheimer’s?.” Alzheimer’s Association. 8 Aug. 2012.
<http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp>
 Viggiano, M. Galli, G., Righi, S. Brancati, C. “Visual Recognition
Memory in Alzheimer’s Disease: Repetition-Lag Effect.”
Experimental Aging Research. 2008. EBSCO. 1 Aug. 2012.