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Americans tend to view dementia as a kind of Alzheimer's disease -- but the truth is quite the opposite. Alzheimer's is only one kind of dementia, but the diagnosis is complicated because there are many symptoms shared by Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. So much so that different countries categorize the diseases differently. For example, in the UK, Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA) is considered a type of Alzheimer's, whereas in the US, PCA is a separate disease that happens to share several differential diagnostic attributes with Alzheimer's. In both cases, in home care is often required to help the patient with day-to-day needs. The major variations on 'Dementia, Alzheimer's' are as follows: -Just Alzheimer's: It's difficult to say "just" Alzheimer's, because the disease is the most common -- and most feared and stigmatized -- form of dementia in the world. Alzheimer's accounts for at least 50% and possibly up to 80% of dementia cases worldwide (depending, as mentioned, on how it's categorized.) The disease takes the form of an unusually dense buildup of inter-cell 'plaques' and intra-cell 'tangles' that are normal in every aging brain, but build up much more quickly in Alzheimer's patients. This begins in the areas of the brain most associated with learning, but spreads to neighboring areas with a wide variety of consequences. -Posterior Cortical Atrophy: In many forms of PCA, the same kinds of 'plaques' and 'tangles' appear in a different area of the brain. (There are, however, variations of PCA that don't resemble Alzheimer's, in which other forms of cellular detritus called 'Lewy bodies' or 'misfolded prions' wreak the same kinds of havoc.) PCA sufferers retain their learning and linguistic abilities (unlike 'normal' Alzheimer's sufferers), but lose the ability to process visual information. This may make them unable to read, unable to judge distances, unable to distinguish between moving and stationary objects, and have a number of other effects on their visual ability. -Down's Syndrome: Down's Syndrome has a really wide variety of effects on the mind and body, but one commonplace is almost similar to early-onset Alzheimer's, so far it has the same types of tangles and placques that show up in the brain of a person. Despite the existence of such constructions, some people with Down's Syndrome often never show signs of having Alzheimer's. Treating Alzheimer's According to the National Institute of Health, "Alzheimer's disease is complex, and it is unlikely that any one intervention will be found to delay, prevent, or cure it." Modern approaches to treating dementia, Alzheimer's included, tend to be multifaceted, focusing on several different aspects or symptoms at once, all of which can usually be done during in home care. These include: The maintenance of mental functions Managing behavioral symptoms Slowing or delaying the onset of more symptoms. Medications Used To Cure Alzheimer's Right now there are only four drugs approved by the U.S. FDA for fighting Alzheimer's disease: Donepezil/Aricept® Rivastigmine/Exelon® Galantaine/Razadyne® Memantine/Namenda® Of the four, only Memantine is used to treat severe Alzheimer's; the rest are for more mild case. All of the drugs function in more or less the same way -- by regulating neurotransmitters. They don't change the actual 'plaques' and 'tangles' caused by the disease, or even slow down the process -- they simply force the brain to function around them for a limited period of time. Because the drugs function so similarly, there is little expectation for one to function if another fails -- but some patients have fewer or more tolerable side effects from one rather than the others. How To Treat Behavioral Symptoms Sufferers of Alzheimer's disease are often sleepless, agitated, anxious, angry, depressed, and are prone to wandering. As scientists determine why these symptoms occur, they're studying treatments to manage them. While Alzheimer's is still considered incurable, treating the behavioral symptoms can improve a patient's quality of life and make it easier to give care. Alzheimer's disease is difficult for everyone involved -- particularly those variations that allow the sufferer to be conscious of their own mental decline. To anyone brave and patient enough to be a caretaker of an Alzheimer's patient, we offer our sincere gratitude. Senior Helpers Care Agency. - Our in home care Crosswicks NJ professionals will develop a program based specifically on the personal care needs of your family
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