Pathogenesis, Signs, and Symptoms of Alzheimers Disease - Essay Example

As of today, the number of patients living with AD exceeds 25 million, with 5 million new cases being registered annually (Qui et al., 2009). 

Pathogenesis

The principal cause of AD is a gradually progressing destruction of neurons in the brain. The physiological process of aging indeed involves the loss of a certain number of nerve cells. However, this loss is much more intensive in patients with dementia. Specifically, the disease affects the association areas of the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. These destructive alterations are the direct cause of various malfunctions of the brain. There is evidence that AD is initiated by genetic mutations. In such cases, the illness usually presents at an earlier age, and the mental condition deteriorates rapidly. All of the known mutations result in the excessive production of a protein, which kills neurons.

Signs and Symptoms

Most frequently, Alzheimer's disease debuts with minor difficulties in remembering new information since the injurious alterations usually begin in the parts of the brain that are responsible for learning. As the pathologic process spreads across the brain, the symptoms become increasingly adverse and may include disorientation, behavioral changes, and disorientation in time, place, and events. Patients with dementia are rarely capable of recognizing the problem; typically, signs of AD are identified by the family members. The final stages of the disease are characterized by even more severe memory loss, and difficulty in speaking, walking, and eating.

Diagnosis

No single test is 100% specific for the diagnosis of AD.  While it is relatively easy to identify whether an individual has dementia, it is much more difficult to perform a differential diagnosis. The standard set of diagnostic tools includes the mini-mental state examination, neurological exam, and blood tests. With the rise of technology in the medical field, brain imaging procedures such as CT and MRI are gaining more weight in the diagnosis of AD (Diagnosis of Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2015).

Treatment

As of today, memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors are the only effective drugs against memory loss, which are approved by FDA (Latest Medication for Memory Loss, 2015). They postpone the deterioration of mental functions for 6 to 12 months and are efficient in over half of the cases (Pohanka, 2011). Other types of drugs used in the treatment of AD are anti-depressants, anxiolytics, and drugs for sleep changes.

Future Outlook

The approach to treatment and diagnosing of AD has changed markedly over the last decades. Brain imaging has already secured its place in the list of necessary diagnostic procedures while highly promising genetic testing is in development (Diagnosis of Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2015).