Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease: Introduction
Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects the mental abilities including memory, language, and cognition.
Progressively it leads to dementia and death.
AD usually arises in late middle age or the elderly but there is a rare familial subtype that occurs earlier.
Because AD is so well-known, other causes of dementia or memory loss
may be overlooked.
Other possible diagnoses
include normal aging (if very mild symptoms),
emotional problems, fatigue,
depression,
and certain medical conditions
such as thyroid disease, brain tumors,
multi-infarct disease, or Huntington's disease.
In its early stages,
a correct diagnosis of AD can also be overlooked itself and misdiagnosed as other conditions
such as depression, dementia, simple forgetfulness, or senility.
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
See full list of 34
symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical testing related to Alzheimer's Disease:
Alzheimer's Disease: Complications
Review possible medical complications related to Alzheimer's Disease:
Disease Topics Related To Alzheimer's Disease
Research the causes of these diseases that are similar to, or related to, Alzheimer's Disease:
Medical Textbooks Online about Alzheimer's Disease
Medical Books Excerpts
- AMNESIA
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- DELIRIUM
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- DEMENTIA
- "Algorithmic Diagnosis of Symptoms and Signs" (2003)
- [ read ]
- Amnesia
- "In a Page: Signs and Symptoms" (2004)
- [ read ]
- Delirium
- "In A Page: Pediatric Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- AMNESIA
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- DELIRIUM
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Amnesia
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Confusion
- "Handbook of Signs & Symptoms (Third Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Dementia*
- "A Pocket Manual of Differential Diagnosis" (1999)
- [ read ]
- Amnesia
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Apraxia
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Confusion
- "Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition)" (2006)
- [ read ]
- Confusion
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Delirium
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Dementia
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
- Amnesia
- "Field Guide to Bedside Diagnosis" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Apraxia
- "Alarming Signs and Symptoms: Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice Series" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Apraxia
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Confusion
- "Signs & Symptoms: A 2-in-1 Reference for Nurses" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Amnesia
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- Confusion
- "Nursing: Interpreting Signs and Symptoms" (2007)
- [ read ]
- AMNESIA
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
- DELIRIUM
- "Differential Diagnosis in Primary Care" (2007)
- [ read ]
Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
Diagnostic Tests for Alzheimer's Disease
See full list of 9
diagnostic tests for Alzheimer's Disease
Wrongly Diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's Disease: Self Assessment Tools
Alzheimer's Disease: Medical Mistakes
Alzheimer's Disease: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers
Products, offers and promotion categories available for Alzheimer's Disease:
Alzheimer's Disease: Undiagnosed Conditions
Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:
Misdiagnosis and Alzheimer's Disease
Underactive thryoid may be misdiagnosed as depression: Hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid, is an endocrine gland disorder that
is more common in women.
It can mimic many...read more »
Undiagnosed stroke leads to misdiagnosed aphasia: BBC News UK reported on a man who
had been institutionalized and treated for mental illness
because he suffered from sudden inability to speak.
This was initially...read more »
Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease
is often over-diagnosed.
Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer's,
whereas there are many other less severe...read more »
Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for
a patient to show mental decline to dementia.
Whereas this can, of course, occur due to various medical conditions,
such as a stroke or Alzheimer...read more »
Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that
any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease.
The...read more »
Mild traumatic brain injury often remains undiagnosed: Although the symptoms
of severe brain injury are hard to miss,
it is less clear for milder injuries, or even those causing...read more »
MTBI misdiagnosed as balance problem: When a person has symptoms
such as vertigo or dizziness, a diagnosis of brain injury may go overlooked.
This is particularly true of mild traumatic brain injury ...read more »
Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic
disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's.
The disease Fragile...read more »
Brain pressure condition often misdiagnosed as dementia: A condition
that results from an excessive pressure of CSF within the brain is often...read more »
Post-concussive brain injury often misdiagnosed: A study found that soldiers who had
suffered a concussive injury in battle often were misdiagnosed on their return...read more »
Children with migraine often misdiagnosed: A migraine often fails to be
correctly diagnosed in pediatric patients.
These patients are not the typical migraine sufferers, but migraines can also...read more »
Read more about Misdiagnosis and Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research related physicians and medical specialists:
- Neurology (Brain/CNS Specialists):
- Stroke & Vascular Specialists:
- Senior Health Specialists (Geriatrics):
- more specialists...»
Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:
Hospitals & Clinics: Alzheimer's Disease
Research quality ratings and patient safety measures
for medical facilities in specialties related to Alzheimer's Disease:
Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »
Choosing the Best Hospital:
More general information, not necessarily in relation to Alzheimer's Disease,
on hospital performance and surgical care quality:
Alzheimer's Disease: Rare Types
Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:
Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
Read more about causes of Alzheimer's Disease.
More information about causes of Alzheimer's Disease:
Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease
- Mental stimulation
- Tacrine (THA, Cognex)
- Aricept (donepezil) - reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
- Exelon (rivastigmine) - reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
- Supportive care
- more treatments...»
See full list of 6
treatments for Alzheimer's Disease
News Archives for Alzheimer's Disease
Medical news articles related to Alzheimer's Disease include:
Source: HealthDay News
Evidence Based Medicine Research for Alzheimer's Disease
Medical research articles related to Alzheimer's Disease include:
Click here to find more evidence-based articles on the TRIP Database
Videos for Alzheimer's Disease
Allen Willner was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease early in the disease process. With medication and the care of his wife, he's slowing the...
People with early-stage Alzheimer's disease know that they will have trouble remembering things. But there are a variety of techniques that can...
People with early Alzheimer's disease know that the condition gets progressively worse over time. Learn how some medications help to stabilize...
While the causes of Alzheimer's are still uncertain, many experts believe the key lies in understanding plaques and tangles, lesions and knots of...
See full list of 11 related videos
Patient Surveys for Alzheimer's Disease
Prognosis for Alzheimer's Disease
Prognosis for Alzheimer's Disease:
Poor. Progressive deterioration from 5-20 years.
More about prognosis of Alzheimer's Disease
Reseach about Alzheimer's Disease
Visit our research pages for current research about Alzheimer's Disease treatments.
Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease
The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally
and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.
Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Alzheimer's Disease include:
See full list of 254
Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease
Statistics for Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease: Broader Related Topics
Types of Alzheimer's Disease
Types of Alzheimer's Disease
- Familial Alzheimer's disease - an early-onset inherited genetic form.
- more types...»
Read more about Types of Alzheimer's Disease
Curable Types of Alzheimer's Disease
Possibly curable types of Alzheimer's Disease include:
Rare Types of Alzheimer's Disease:
Rare types of Alzheimer's Disease include:
Stories from Users Related to Alzheimer's Disease
Related forums and medical stories:
User Interactive Forums
Read about other experiences, ask a question about Alzheimer's Disease, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:
Article Excerpts about Alzheimer's Disease
NINDS Alzheimer's Disease Information Page: NINDS (Excerpt)
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive,
neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory loss, language
deterioration, impaired visuospatial skills, poor judgment, indifferent
attitude, but preserved motor function.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Alzheimer's Disease Information Page: NINDS)
Alzheimer's Disease: NWHIC (Excerpt)
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in older
people. A dementia is a medical condition that disrupts the way the brain
works. AD affects the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and
language. Every day, scientists learn more about AD, but right now the
cause or causes of the disease are still unknown, and there is no known
cure. An estimated 4 million people in the U.S. suffer from AD. (Source: excerpt from Alzheimer's Disease: NWHIC)
Clinical Trials Alzheimer''s Disease and Related Disorders: NIMH (Excerpt)
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD) is an age-related and irreversible
brain disorder that occurs gradually and results in memory
loss, behavior and personality changes, and a decline in
thinking abilities. These losses are related to the breakdown
of the connections between nerve cells in the brain and the
eventual death of many of these cells. (Source: excerpt from Clinical Trials Alzheimer''s Disease and Related Disorders: NIMH)
Definitions of Alzheimer's Disease:
A degenerative disease of the BRAIN characterized by the insidious onset of DEMENTIA. Impairment of MEMORY, judgment, attention span, and problem solving skills are followed by severe APRAXIAS and a global loss of cognitive abilities. The condition primarily occurs after age 60, and is marked pathologically by severe cortical atrophy and the triad of SENILE PLAQUES; NEUROFIBRILLARY TANGLES; and NEUROPIL THREADS. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1049-57)
- (Source - Diseases Database)
A progressive form of presenile dementia that is similar to senile dementia except that it usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness
- (Source - WordNet 2.1)
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