Alzheimer's disease - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
WEBJul 10, 2024 — Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia — a gradual decline in memory, thinking, behavior and social skills. These changes affect a person's ability to function. About 6.5 million people in the United States age 65 and older live with Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's and dementia: What's the difference? - Mayo Clinic
WEBMar 13, 2024 — Alzheimer's disease first affects the part of the brain associated with learning, so early symptoms often include changes in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. As the disease progresses, symptoms become more severe and include confusion, changes in behavior and other challenges.
Dementia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
WEBAlzheimer's disease. This is the most common cause of dementia. Although not all causes of Alzheimer's disease are known, experts do know that a small percentage are related to changes in three genes. These gene changes can be passed down from parent to child.
Alzheimer's stages: How the disease progresses - Mayo Clinic
WEBJun 7, 2023 — Alzheimer's disease tends to develop slowly and gradually worsens over several years. Eventually, Alzheimer's disease affects most areas of your brain. Memory, thinking, judgment, language, problem-solving, personality and movement can all be affected by the disease. There are five stages associated with …
Alzheimer's disease - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic
WEBJul 10, 2024 — In the past, Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed for certain only after death when looking at the brain with a microscope revealed plaques and tangles. Health care professional and researchers are now able to diagnose Alzheimer's disease during life with more certainty. Biomarkers can detect the presence of plaques and tangles.
Diagnosing Alzheimer's: How Alzheimer's is diagnosed
WEBMar 13, 2024 — To diagnose Alzheimer's dementia, healthcare professionals conduct tests to measure memory impairment and other thinking skills. They also judge functional abilities and identify behavior changes. A series of tests can rule out other possible causes of …
Dementia - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic
WEBDiagnosis. To diagnose the cause of dementia, a health care professional must recognize the pattern of loss of skills and function. The care professional also determines what the person is still able to do. More recently, biomarkers have become available to make a more accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.
Young-onset Alzheimer's: When symptoms begin before age 65
WEBApr 10, 2024 — Young-onset Alzheimer's disease is an uncommon form of dementia that affects people younger than age 65. The condition also is called early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Most people with Alzheimer's are age 65 and older. About 1 in 9 people age 65 and older in the United States has Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's: Medicines help manage symptoms and slow decline
WEBJul 10, 2024 — Managing these symptoms may help people with Alzheimer's disease preserve abilities to perform daily activities and prolong their independence — factors that can improve the overall quality of life. Alzheimer's drugs don't work for everyone and may lose effectiveness over time.
Alzheimer's treatments: What's on the horizon? - Mayo Clinic
WEBJul 10, 2024 — Current Alzheimer's treatments temporarily improve symptoms of memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning. These Alzheimer's treatments boost the performance of chemicals in the brain that carry information from one brain cell to another. They include cholinesterase inhibitors and the medicine memantine (Namenda).