Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's Disease

Medical Author: Howard Crystal, MD
Medical Editors: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR and Jay W. Marks, MD

Previous Contributing Medical Author: Yuri Bronstein, M.D. and Medical Editor: Stefan M. Pulst, M.D.

• What is dementia?
• What is Alzheimer's disease?
• Who develops Alzheimer's disease?
• What are the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?
• Ten warning signs of Alzheimer's disease
• What are the causes Alzheimer's disease?
• What are risk factors for Alzheimer's disease?
• How is the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease made?
• What is the prognosis of a person with Alzheimer's disease?
• What treatment and management options are available for Alzheimer's disease?
• Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs)
• Partial glutamate antagonists
• Non-medication based treatments
• Treatment of psychiatric symptoms
• Potential and future therapies for Alzheimer's disease
• Caring for the caregiver and Alzheimer's disease resources
• Alzheimer's Disease At A Glance
• Patient Discussions: Alzheimer's Disease - Describe Your Experience

What is dementia?

Dementia is a syndrome characterized by:

1. impairment in memory,


2. impairment in another area of thinking such as the ability to organize thoughts and reason, the ability to use language, or the ability to see accurately the visual world (not because of eye disease), and


3. these impairments are severe enough to cause a decline in the patient's usual level of functioning.

Although some kinds of memory loss are normal parts of aging, the changes due to aging are not severe enough to interfere with the level of function. Many different diseases can cause dementia, but Alzheimer's disease is by far the most common cause for dementia in the United States and in most countries in the world.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Many scientists believe that Alzheimer's disease results from an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death.

The likelihood of having Alzheimer's disease increases substantially after the age of 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85. Nonetheless, Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that inevitably happens in later life. For example, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's Disease - Describe Your Experience

The MedicineNet physician editors ask:

Please describe the symptoms you or loved one experienced with Alzheimer's disease.

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