All you need to know about Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.

It is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. One of the proteins involved is called amyloid, deposits of which form plaques around brain cells. The other protein is called tau, deposits of which form tangles within brain cells.

The symptoms for Alzheimer’s can be grouped in four categories. Cognitive, behavioral, psychological, and mood.

Cognitive symptoms include, mental decline, difficulty thinking and understanding, confusion in the evening hours, delusion, disorientation, forgetfulness, making things up, mental confusion, difficulty concentrating, inability to create new memories, inability to do simple math, and inability to recognize common things.

Behavioral symptoms include aggression, agitation, difficulty with self care, irritability, meaningless repetition of own words, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint, and wandering and getting lost.

Psychological symptoms include depression, hallucination, and paranoia.

Mood symptoms include, anger, apathy, general discontent, loneliness, or mood swings.

As Alzheimer's worsens, people experience greater memory loss and other cognitive difficulties.

No cure exists but medications and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms.