FAQ

There are many types of dementia, all caused by a different process occurring with the brain. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people accounting upwards of 80% of the cases over the age of 65. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities, to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities. Dementia ranges in severity from the mildest stage, when it is just beginning to affect a person’s functioning, to the most severe stage, when the person must depend completely on others for basic activities of daily living.

Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. The woman’s symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. Upon this woman’s death, Dr. Alzheimer examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). The plaques are made up of beta amyloid fibrils that ‘clump’ in the brain and ultimately kill neurons. The tangles occur when the tau protein molecule destabilizes within the neuron itself, become ‘tangled’ and also contribute to the progression of the disease.

Memory problems are typically one of the first warning signs of cognitive loss, possibly due to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Difficulty finding words in conversations, misplacing objects and attentional changes are all considered early warning signs or symptoms possibly. Some people with memory problems have a condition called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). People with this condition have more memory problems than normal for people their age, but their symptoms are not as severe as those seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease. The ability of people with MCI to perform normal daily activities is not significantly impaired, only mildly different from their previous level of functioning. Approximately 15% of the individuals with MCI go on to develop Alzheimer’s on an annual basis.

Although we still don’t exactly know how the Alzheimer’s disease process begins, experts now believe that damage to the brain starts a decade or more before problems become evident. Surprisingly, during the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease, people are free of symptoms, but toxic changes are taking place in the brain. Abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the brain, and once-healthy neurons begin to work less efficiently. As a result of these accumulations of plaques and tangles, neurons lose their ability to function and communicate with each other, and eventually they die.

Prodromal (Preclinical): 

Prodromal Alzheimer’s Disease, manifests in the stage before clinical symptoms appear. Advances in medical imaging technology and blood-based testing have enabled researchers to detect biological evidence of preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease, which was previously almost impossible. Imaging techniques are used to search for the protein amyloid-beta, which disrupts the brain’s communication system and is a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Genetic tests can also be used to determine if a person is at risk of developing the condition if it is present in their family history.

Mild Cognitive Impairment: 

In the early stage of memory or cognitive impairment symptoms may not be widely apparent, but the person may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses, such as getting lost, repeating questions or location of everyday items. These are greater than those expected with normal aging, but not as severe as those seen in Alzheimer’s Disease. Those with MCI are at an increased risk of developing dementia. MCI can be a precursor to dementia, but not all people with MCI will progress to dementia.

Mild Alzheimer’s Disease: 

At this stage, loved ones and those close to an individual with Alzheimer’s may begin to observe the signs of the condition. Doctors can diagnose the disease based on the presence of dementia symptoms, which include personality changes, memory loss, a shrinking vocabulary, difficulty performing complex tasks, and difficulty expressing thoughts and ideas. People may also have difficulty organizing their thoughts and may struggle to complete daily activities.

Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease: 

In this stage, damage occurs in areas of the brain that control language, reasoning, sensory processing, and conscious thought. Memory loss and confusion grow worse, and people begin to have problems recognizing family and friends. They may be unable to learn new things, carry out tasks that involve multiple steps (such as getting dressed), or cope with new situations. They may have other behavioral changes taking place, such as increased agitation or delusions.

Severe Alzheimer’s Disease:

By the final stage, plaques and tangles have spread throughout the brain, and brain tissue has shrunk significantly. People with severe Alzheimer’s have extreme difficulty communicating and are completely dependent on others for their care. Near the end, the person may be in bed most or all of the time as the body shuts down.

Have you ever taken a medicine or prescribed medication for an ailment? Then you have been given that opportunity because of people before you that went through a clinical trial to get that medicine or medication approved. In fact, a clinical trial is also extremely beneficial for the participate for the ability to be monitored on a regular basis of their vitals and physicals in addition to their regular physicians, not to mention, more valuable time with a physician. For this devastating disease it offers hope where non previously existed, a chance to alter or prevent the course of the disease. 

A clinical trial, also known as a clinical study, is research that is done to help find medical treatments that can help improve, in our case, cognitive health. These trials generally include different forms of medications, different tests, and exercises. Every trial must be approved and strictly monitored by an IRB, Institutional Review Board, to make sure the risks are as low as possible and are worth any potential benefits. All sites that conduct or support biomedical research involving people must, by federal regulation, have an IRB that approves and periodically reviews the research to ensure a person’s safety.

We encourage anyone over the age of 50 to come in for a free memory evaluation. We have many clinical trials enrolling and this evaluation will help determine the best trial for an individual. There are multiple factors that we must take into consideration such as age, evaluation results, medical history and medications being taken by an individual.

If you qualify, there is never a cost to you. You will receive a full work up including but not limited to a memory evaluation, consultation with a physician, and brain imaging, all complimentary.