Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

 

Misplacing your car keys, calling your neighbor by the wrong name or forgetting to buy bread at the grocery store are common memory lapses. But with age, forgetfulness happens more often, and it’s easy to begin questioning what’s normal — like if it’s a sign of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a term to describe the loss of cognitive functioning. Over time, Alzheimer’s can lead to an inability to carry out daily activities, such as getting dressed, having conversations.

 

If someone you care about is experiencing signs of Alzheimer's, knowing the signs of each stage can help you assist in managing the disease.

 

“There's no cure for Alzheimer's,” explains David Wolk, MD, co-director of the Penn Memory Center, “but there are medications that can keep the symptoms from getting worse for a period of time.”

 

Remember, Alzheimer’s affects everyone differently. The timing and severity may be different for each person, and it can be difficult to determine which stage your loved one is in because stages may overlap and are only meant to be a guideline

 

Stage 1: Before Symptoms Appear

Just like with many diseases, changes in the brain that are related to Alzheimer’s begin before symptoms are noticeable.

 

“This time period — often called ‘preclinical Alzheimer’s disease’ — likely begins 10 or 15 years before people have symptoms,” says Dr. Wolk. “Currently, there is no treatment for this preclinical stage, but we hope in the future that we will have medicines that can halt the progress before people have symptoms and prevent the disease.”

 

Because the risk of Alzheimer’s increases with age, it’s important to keep up with regular primary care visits to allow for screening to detect the earliest signs of disease. If you notice your loved one’s cognitive abilities beginning to slip, that may mean they’re entering the second stage of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

Stage 2: Basic Forgetfulness

Everyone can be forgetful from time to time, and that’s likely to happen more often with age. Very early stages of Alzheimer’s can look like normal-aged forgetfulness.

 

Your loved one might have memory lapses, including forgetting people’s names or where they left their keys, but they can still drive, work and be social. However, these memory lapses become more frequent. You will probably notice this before your loved one does — and you may be able to get them treatment sooner to slow the progression.

 

Stage 3: Noticeable Memory Difficulties

“For many, this stage brings noticeable changes, and it will become harder to blame age. It’s common to be diagnosed in this stage, because this is when a person’s daily routine becomes more disrupted,” explains Dr. Wolk.

 

Common difficulties in this stage go beyond forgetting names and misplacing objects. Your loved one may:

 

Have trouble remembering recently read material, such as books or magazines

Find remember plans and organizing increasingly difficult

Have more difficulty retrieving a name or word

Experience challenges in social settings or at work

This stage may bring about more anxiety for your loved one, and some people may even deny that anything is wrong. These feelings are normal, but not talking to a physician will only allow symptoms to get worse. The best way to keep symptoms at bay is to talk to your loved one’s physician about treatment options, including medications, and care planning.

Stage 4: More Than Memory Loss

“In this stage, damage to the brain often involves other aspects of cognition outside of memory, including some difficulty with language, organization, and calculations.  These problems can make it more challenging for your loved one to perform daily tasks,” says Dr. Wolk.

 

During this stage — which can last for many years — your loved one will experience major difficulties with memory. They may still remember significant details about their life, such as who they are married to or what state they live in. Their memory of the distant past will usually be significantly better than their memory of day-to-day information, such as what they saw on the news or a conversation from earlier in the day.

 

Other challenges during this stage include:

 

Confusion about what day it is and where they are

Increased risk of wandering off or getting lost

Changes in sleep patterns, such as restlessness at night and sleeping during the day

Difficulty choosing appropriate clothing for the weather or the occasion

During this stage, situations that require a lot of thinking, such as being at a social gathering, can be very frustrating, and it’s common to feel moody or withdrawn.

 

“Because of the damage to the brain cells, your loved one may also experience other personality changes, such as feeling suspicious of others, having less interest in things, or feeling depressed,” explains Dr. Wolk. “These kinds of symptoms can often be improved with medications.”

 

As Alzheimer more further described, View Source