There are many things the medical community
understands about Alzheimer's disease and many things it doesn't yet know. For
example, it's not clear why some people with Alzheimer's disease experience
faster decline than others. Early Alzheimer's diagnosis and treatment may help
to slow progression of Alzheimer's symptoms.
Using the Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) scale
developed by Dr. Barry Reisberg, director of the New York University School of
Medicine's Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center, doctors are able to
make a determination about which stage of the disease a person is suffering
from, based on the Alzheimer's symptoms being experienced. The FAST scale
divides the progression of Alzheimer's disease into areas of functional loss,
such as degrees of forgetfulness, agitation and behavior and deficits in
intellect and reasoning, as well as the ability to perform daily activities. By
understanding the various areas, Alzheimer's caregivers can better meet the
needs of the person suffering from Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's Disease: Progressing through Three
Stages
In people with Alzheimer's disease, changes in the
brain may begin 10 to 20 years before any visible signs or symptoms appear. Some
regions of the brain may begin to shrink, resulting in memory loss, the first
visible sign of Alzheimer's disease.
Over time, Alzheimer's disease progresses through
three main stages: mild, moderate, and severe. Because it is not easy to look
inside a living brain to see the damage Alzheimer's disease causes, these stages
are characterized by a collection of signs and symptoms and behaviors the people
with Alzheimer's disease experience.
Mild Alzheimer's Disease
People with mild symptoms of Alzheimer's disease
often seem healthy, but they are actually having trouble making sense of the
world around them. It often takes time for an observer to realize that something
is wrong because the initial symptoms are often confused with changes that take
place in normal aging. Symptoms and early signs of Alzheimer's disease may
include:
• Difficulty learning and remembering new
information
• Difficulty managing finances, planning meals,
taking medication on schedule
• Depression symptoms (sadness, decreased interest
in usual activities, loss of energy)
• Still able to do most activities such as driving a
car
• Gets lost going to familiar places
Moderate Alzheimer's Disease
In moderate Alzheimer's disease, the damaging
processes occurring in the brain worsen and spread to other areas that control
language, reasoning, sensory processing, and thought. In this stage, symptoms
and signs of Alzheimer's disease become more pronounced and behavioral problems
may become more obvious.
Signs and symptoms of moderate Alzheimer's
disease may include:
• Forgetting old facts
• Continually repeats stories and/or asks the same
questions over and over
• Makes up stories to fill gaps
• Difficulty performing tasks
• Following written notes
• Using the shower and toilet
• Agitation, behavioral symptoms common
• Restlessness, repetitive movements
• Wandering
• Paranoia, delusions, hallucinations
• Deficits in intellect and reasoning
• Lack of concern for appearance, hygiene, and sleep
become more noticeable
Advanced Alzheimer’s Disease
In the advanced stage of Alzheimer's disease, damage
to the brain's nerve cells is widespread. At this point, full–time care is
typically required. For friends, family, and Alzheimer's caregivers, this can be
the most difficult stage. People with severe Alzheimer's disease may have
difficulty walking, and they often suffer complications from other illnesses,
such as pneumonia. Signs of severe Alzheimer's disease may include:
• May groan, scream, mumble, or speak gibberish
• Behavioral symptoms common
• Refuses to eat
• Inappropriately cries out
• Failure to recognize family or faces
• Difficulty with all essential activities of daily
living
With this information on the various stages of
Alzheimer's disease – and the symptoms associated with them – you are in a
better position to discuss Alzheimer's treatment options with the doctor.
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