Understanding Alzheimer's Disease

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's is a disease in which cells in the brain are gradually destroyed, causing a person to loose their intellectual, emotional and social abilities. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is a word derived from the Latin roots de-taken away and mentis- mind. In dementia, there is a decreased ability for the mind to function. The mind is essential for knowing, understanding, remembering, concentrating, problem solving, language and physical, emotional and social responses. As a result people suffering from dementia can show a gradual decline in all of these areas of functioning.

Alzheimer's received its name from Dr.Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist who noticed abnormal plaques and bundles of tangled fibers in the brains of people suffering from some forms of dementia. Dementia is diagnosed as Alzheimer's when there is a gradual onset of decline in memory, understanding, and ability to learn new material that is not due to other known causes such as cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, hypothyroidism, vitamin B 12 deficiencies, substance abuse, HIV infection or head trauma.