ALZHEIMER'S QUESTION & ANSWER SHEET

                       ALZHEIMER'S QUESTION & ANSWER SHEET

             Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Assoc. Inc.

                         70 E. Lake Street, Suite 600

                            Chicago, Illinois 60601

                         What is Alzheimer's Disease?

The most common form of dementing  illness,  Alzheimer's  Disease  (AD)  is  a 

progressive,  degenerative  disease  that attacks the brain,  causing impaired 

memory,  thinking and behavior.  The person with AD may experience  confusion, 

personality  and behavior changes,  impaired judgment,  and difficulty finding 

words,  finishing thoughts or following directions.  It eventually leaves  its 

victims incapable of caring for themselves.  

               What happens to the brain in Alzheimer's Disease?

The nerve cells in the part of the brain that controls memory,  thinking,  are 

damaged, interrupting the passage of messages between cells. The cells develop 

distinctive changes that are called neuritic plaques (clusters of degenerating 

nerve cell ends) and neurofibrillary  tangles  (masses  of  twisted  filaments 

which  accumulate  in  previously  health  nerve cells).  The cortex (thinking 

center) of the brain shrinks (atrophies),  The spaces in  the  center  of  the 

brain become enlarged, also reducing surface area in the brain.  

                 What are the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's Disease is a dementing illness which leads to loss of intellectual 

capacity.  Symptoms  usually  occur  in older adults (although people in their 

40s and 5Os may also be affected) and include loss of language skills --  such 

as trouble finding words,  problems with abstract thinking,  poor or decreased 

judgment,  disorientation in place and time,  changes in mood or behavior  and 

changes in personality. The overall result is a noticeable decline in personal 

activities or work performance.  

                    Who is affected by Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's Disease knows no social or economic boundaries and affects men and 

women  almost  equally.  The  disease  strikes  older persons more frequently, 

affecting approximately 10% of Americans over age 65 and 47% of those over age 

85.  

                       What causes Alzheimer's Disease?

The cause of Alzheimer's Disease is not known.  Researchers are  investigating 

suspected causes such as neurological damage,  chemical deficiencies, viruses, 

genetic abnormalities,  environmental toxins and malfunctions  in  the  body's 

disease defense systems.  

                      Is Alzheimer's Disease hereditary?

There  is  a slightly increased risk that children,  brothers,  and sisters of 

patients with Alzheimer's Disease will get it,  but most cases  are  the  only 

ones in a family.  Some patients who develop the disease in middle age (called 

early onset) have a "familial" type -- more than one case in the family. It is 

important to note that AD can  only  be  definitively  diagnosed  after  death 

through  autopsy  of  brain  tissue.  Thirty  percent  of  autopsies turn up a 

different diagnosis.  Families are encouraged to  ask  for  an  autopsy  as  a 

contribution to learning more about the genetics of AD.  

            Are there treatments available for Alzheimer's Disease?

Presently,  there  is  no  definite cure or treatment for Alzheimer's Disease.  

Unfortunately,  there are many unscrupulous individuals who  market  so-called 

"cures." These treatments are often expensive and they don't cure AD. However, 

since  senility  is such a scary problem and because families are desperate to 

find help for loved ones,  these bogus treatments continue to  sell.  Most  of 

them have no scientific proof of effectiveness.  

                     How is Alzheimer's Disease diagnosed?

There  is no single clinical test for Alzheimer's Disease.  It is diagnosed by 

ruling out all other curable or incurable causes of memory  loss.  A  positive 

diagnosis  of Alzheimer's Disease can only be made by microscopically studying 

a small piece of brain tissue after death. The cerebral cortex of an Alzheimer 

brain will have characteristic abnormalities -- cells marred  by  plaques  and 

tangles.  However,  a  working  diagnosis  can be made through various testing 

procedures that include a  thorough  physical  as  well  as  neurological  and 

psychological examinations.  

               How long do people with Alzheimer's Disease live?

People  diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease may live from two to 20 years after 

the onset of memory loss symptoms.  It shortens one's expected life span,  but 

given appropriate care and medical attention,  patients often survive for many 

years at home or in a nursing home. Death can't usually be predicted until the 

very terminal stages.  It is common for patients in terminal-stage Alzheimer's 

to  lose  weight,  and to have difficulty swallowing,  controlling bladder and 

bowels, walking and speaking.  They may curl into a fetal position.  Alzheimer 

victims  often  succumb  to  a  series  of repeated infections such as bladder 

infections or pneumonia.  

                   What is the scope of Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's afflicts approximately 4 million Americans and it's estimated that 

one in three of us will face this disease in  an  older  relative.  More  than 

100,000  die annually,  making Alzheimer's Disease the fourth leading cause of 

death among adults.  Half of all current nursing home patients  are  affected, 

making AD a costly public health and long term care problem.  An estimated $80 

billion is spent annually on  the  care  of  AD,  including  costs  diagnosis, 

treatment,  nursing home care,  at-home care and lost wages.  Alzheimer's also 

affects the patient's caregivers, who become the second victims.  Persons with 

AD  often  require 24-hour care and supervision,  most of which is provided in 

the home by family and friends.  In  addition  to  the  tremendous  stress  of 

providing  care,  families  also  bear  most  of  the financial burdens of the 

disease as well.  

                 Aren't memory problems normal in old people?

Benign,  or normal,  forgetfulness is part of the  normal  aging  process  and 

usually  begins  in  early  middle  age.  Most  people  have  some  experience 

forgetting names, appointments or where they left their keys.  However, normal 

forgetfulness  differs  from  Alzheimer's Disease in some very important ways. 

The Alzheimer patient will frequently become lost  in  familiar  surroundings; 

forget  names of familiar people;  have problems handing money;  forget how to 

dress,  read or write;  and lose the ability to use the tools of daily  living 

such as a key or radio.