The Distinct Stages of Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example

There are three broad phases that are typically recognized, they are Mild symptoms Confusion and memory loss, disorientation; getting lost in familiar surroundings, problems with routine tasks, and changes in personality and judgment.

Moderate symptoms Difficulty with activities of daily living, such as eating and bathing, anxiety, suspiciousness, agitation, sleep disturbances, wandering, pacing, and difficulty recognizing family and friends. Severe symptoms Loss of speech, loss of appetite, weight loss, loss of bladder control, and total dependence on the caregiver. (Gwyther) "There is no single test that can accurately diagnosis the onset of Alzheimer's. Doctors focus on ruling out all other possible "causes of symptoms", which might include reactions to medications, other illnesses, or psychological issues such as grief.

A diagnosis is said to be either possible (all other causes can be ruled out) or probable (all other causes have been ruled out). A definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer's is possible only after examining brain tissue after death" (Fisher Center). 2 Initial observation A new study included in the October issue of Radiology looked at 13 elderly people with mild cognitive impairment - - a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease - - and 13 people without mild cognitive impairment.

 According to research conducted by Min-Ying Su of the University of California Irvine, "as Alzheimer's disease progresses, cells in the brain may become damaged, which allows water molecules to move throughout the brain more freely. This process of cellular damage causes an increase in the "apparent diffusion coefficient", or "ADC, which is a measurement used to study the distribution of water in the brain" (Su) Basic method/ experiment design "The participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and performed memory recall tasks.

The MRIs used a computer-aided analysis program to measure ADC values in different regions of the brain" (Su). Results The researchers found that, "participants with mild cognitive impairment had increased water content in certain regions of the brain, including white-matter areas, the hippocampus, temporal lobe gray matter and the corpus callosum. The ADC values in the hippocampus were associated with worse memory-performance scores" (Su) Author's conclusion Min-Ying Su in assessing the results of their research, said, "Our methods may enable earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, allowing earlier intervention to slow 3 down disease progression" (Su) Writer's critique The current process for diagnosis can be stressful, time-consuming and expensive for the aging patient.