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Alzheimer's Disease Information

About Alzheimer's Disease

What is Dementia?

The term "dementia" describes a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.

What is Alzheimer's disease (AD)?

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disorder involving memory loss, impaired intellectual function and physical weakening. It is the most common form of dementia and the fourth leading cause of death in all adults. Those afflicted with Alzheimer's slowly lose their ability to remember, think, communicate, and care for themselves.

AD is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He found abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). Today, these plaques and tangles in the brain are considered hallmarks of AD.

Scientists also have found other brain changes in people with AD. There is a loss of nerve cells in areas of the brain that are vital to memory and other mental abilities. There also are lower levels of chemicals in the brain that carry complex messages back and forth between nerve cells. AD may disrupt normal thinking and memory by blocking these messages between nerve cells.

How many Americans have AD?

Alzheimer's disease touches many lives. An estimated 5.1 million Americans have the disease, over 140,000 of whom are Massachusetts residents and more than 8,500 are members of our Cape & Islands communities. Most people living with Alzheimer's are cared for at home, usually by their spouses or adult children. If you know someone with AD or a dementia of any type, it affects you, too.

How long can a person live with AD?

AD is a slow disease, starting with mild memory problems and ending with severe brain damage. The course the disease takes and how fast changes occur vary from person to person. On average, AD patients live from 8 to 10 years after they are diagnosed, though the disease can last for as many as 20 years.

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