| What is Alzheimer? | | | | The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can be |
| The gray-haired old lady cannot wait to leave the | | | | frustrating for a person with the disease. Dealing with |
| building to search for her dad. Unless watched, she | | | | these symptoms can also be difficult for family |
| will walk the streets in an effort to locate her father, | | | | members of the suffering patient. It may help to |
| who died 30 years ago. Yes, she is afflicted with | | | | understand that these changes are no one's fault. |
| Alzheimer's disease, a condition so debilitating, it robs | | | | They are part of the disease. |
| a patient not only of memory, sight and mobility, but | | | | There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease and no way |
| even personality. | | | | to slow the progression of the disease. For some |
| Alzheimer's disease is a physical illness that causes | | | | people in the early or middle stages of the disease, |
| changes in the brain. It is a form of dementia. | | | | certain medications may alleviate some cognitive |
| Dementia affects a person's memory, mood, and | | | | symptoms. |
| behavior. | | | | In addition, some medications may help control |
| Alzheimer's disease usually affects people over 65. A | | | | behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, |
| person with this disease has trouble remembering, | | | | wandering, anxiety, and depression. These |
| speaking, learning, making judgments, and planning. | | | | treatments are aimed at making the patient more |
| Some people feel restless and moody. It may take | | | | comfortable. |
| many years for Alzheimer's disease to get worse. | | | | However, scientists have identified the region of the |
| People often do become more forgetful as they | | | | brain responsible for long-term memory, bringing |
| grow older. However, Alzheimer's disease causes | | | | closer the development of treatments for Alzheimer's |
| more than just memory loss. Its symptoms can | | | | disease. |
| impact every part of a person's life. Alzheimer's | | | | American researchers pinpointed a part of the brain - |
| disease leads to changes in behavior, personality, and | | | | the anterior cingulate - that controls the storage and |
| abilities. Over time, people with the disease have | | | | retrieval of distant recollections. The breakthrough |
| trouble doing common daily activities, such as bathing | | | | opens up a new field of research into ways to treat |
| or getting dressed. | | | | diseases, like Alzheimer's that affect the memory. |