• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s & Dementia
• Alzheimer’s Diagnosis
• The Diagnostic Process
• Treatment Options
• Support Group Assistance
• For More Information

Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain in which nerve cells die over time, affecting memory, reasoning abilities and the capacity for performing everyday activities. It affects an estimated 5.6 million Americans and is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States.

Alzheimer’s can’t be cured at the present time but it can be treated and managed. Early detection offers many advantages for patients and their families. Portsmouth Regional Hospital’s Neuroscience Services offers many resources for helping Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers.

Alzheimer’s & Dementia

Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia, although not the only one – dementia isn’t a disease in itself but a broad term for these symptoms of cognitive problems. Head injuries and strokes are other significant causes of dementia, but there are many less-common contributors, such as oxygen deprivation and poisoning by heavy metals.

Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

No single test can detect Alzheimer’s. Instead, the disease is diagnosed by symptoms, findings on neurologic examination and results from diagnostic tests. These tests help exclude other conditions that might cause the signs and symptoms. A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s may be “probable,” meaning that other causes of the symptoms have been ruled out and the most likely cause is Alzheimer’s disease.

The Diagnostic Process

A diagnosis may be arrived at through a process of a physical examination by a physician, assessments of cognitive function through testing and interviews with the patient and family members and friends, psychiatric assessment, blood tests and MRI, CT, and PET brain imaging scans.

Treatment Options

The first step in treating Alzheimer’s is an accurate diagnosis. It’s important to rule out other causes of dementia, particularly conditions that can be treated and potentially reversed. If Alzheimer’s is diagnosed early, medications and other care may improve the patient’s daily functioning and quality of life, as well as potentially slow disease progression.

The second step in treating Alzheimer’s is for the patient, and family, to prepare for and manage the disease as it progresses. Home safety consultations by Occupational Therapists are available to assist in identifying home safety issues.

Support Group Assistance

Many caregivers find access to a support group to be of significant value. In the Seacoast, an Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group is available at Wentworth Connections on Parrot Avenue in Portsmouth: www.wentworthconnection.org, Tele.: 603-431-8677

For More Information

It’s critical for patients who have Alzheimer’s and their families to be educated and informed about the disease. Safety is also a priority. Rehabilitation staff can conduct home safety consultations, if requested.

Additional information is available at the following links:

Alzheimer’s Caregiver Guide
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/caregiverguide.htm

Alzheimer’s Association
http://www.alz.org/index.asp