The topic of cognition often comes up in any discussion of age. After all, research into dementia has been increasing, with a strong emphasis on finding the causes of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, along with treatments.
In this post, we’re taking a detailed look at the current research into Alzheimer’s disease. Our next post highlights the natural changes to cognition that can occur with age. Our aim is to help you understand a little more about the changes that are related to age and the ones that may be an indication of something more serious.
Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia in Seniors
What is Dementia?
Dementia is a general term for various brain diseases, ones that lead to long-term decreases in a person’s ability to remember and to think. In particular, the term focuses on conditions where a person’s daily function is affected.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the key causes of dementia (or types of dementia), but there are other related conditions too.
What is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition. It tends to start slowly and become worse over time. The condition can be a terrifying one, stripping loved ones of memory and personality.
Caring for someone with dementia can also be challenging. Dementia patients often struggle to understand and accept reality. Arguing with a dementia patient is often a fruitless endeavor, which is why many caregivers focus on techniques like redirection instead.
While research is rapidly progressing, there is still much that we don’t know about Alzheimer’s – including what causes the condition and how it can be treated.
The progress of the disease is associated with the development of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques in the brain.
Risk Factors
Advanced age is one of the most significant risk factors. The risk of Alzheimer’s disease roughly doubles every five years after 65 years of age. While Alzheimer’s disease can occur at younger ages, it most commonly begin after 60 to 65 years of age.
This suggests that, for most people, any early symptoms before this point are not indications of dementia development.
There is also a range of modifiable risk factors. The most significant of these are the following:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Cognitive inactivity or low education
- Physical inactivity
There is also a link between depression and dementia. However, research has not clarified the direction of the link or its implications. There is the possibility that depression may be an early symptom of dementia, especially for those who develop it later in life. Alternatively, depression may act as a risk factor. Either way, more research is needed.
Ways to Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk
While Alzheimer’s disease is not preventable, various factors can significantly decrease disease risk. One estimate suggests that as many as half of all Alzheimer’s cases could be prevented by targeting the modifiable risk factors.
Most of these are also related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. These include the following:
- Avoid excess alcohol and smoking
- Stay physically active
- Be connected socially and avoid isolation
- Decrease stress, particularly chronic stress
- Keep your brain engaged, such as by learning new skills, playing games or doing cognitively challenging activities.
- Avoid head injuries by wearing head protection when cycling and playing sports. The risk is most strongly associated with repeated head injuries or severe ones.
Current Research
The complexity of Alzheimer’s disease has made it difficult to determine ways to prevent and treat the condition. The list below highlights some of the most interesting research findings from recent years.
However, be aware that the studies are often early research. This means that more work is needed to verify and strengthen their findings.
- Alzheimer’s disease development is linked to neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. These are ‘collections of saturated tau proteins’. Some research is pointing to a possible vaccine for the condition, using virus-like particles that may be able to target these tangles.
- Other pieces of research suggest that we are getting closer to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, practical and usable solutions may still be decades away.
- Researchers are learning more about the mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s disease development, including the interaction between amyloid plaques in the brain and the tau proteins.
- One study has linked poor oral hygiene and bad teeth to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. In particular, the authors found that people with fewer of their own teeth remaining had a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The authors theorized that the microbes that cause infections like periodontis could promote Alzheimer’s disease. However, the study was observational only and did not test cause and effect. The mechanism between tooth problems and Alzheimer’s has been partly shown, but not enough to prove disease causation – and poor oral hygiene is not currently considered a risk factor of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease can be difficult, especially as the early symptoms are often mild.
One of the first indications is challenges in remembering recent events, where the memory loss is significant enough to affect life on a daily basis.
Later symptoms of the disease include:
- Disorientation (which can lead to getting lost easily)
- Manipulative behavior or paranoia
- Significant changes to mood or personality
- Increased difficulties with planning or problem-solving.
- Difficulties in completing everyday tasks that the senior is familiar with
Change over time is also important.
- Alzheimer’s disease is progressive, so it will tend to get worse.
- Likewise, if a person has had the same low-grade cognition issues for many years without change, the cause is not likely to be dementia.
It’s important to note that the symptoms are not definitive. Many of them have other causes. Most are vague or subjective too, which can make them difficult to identify.
This is why Alzheimer’s disease needs to be diagnosed. Physicians use a variety of factors for diagnosis, including behavioral changes, medical tests, and daily function.
One of the most common tests is the Mini Mental Status Exam (MMSE). This can be useful, but it only focuses on some symptoms. It isn’t possible to diagnose from this test alone, especially as other things can contribute to some of the same symptoms.
As such, it is important for doctors to conduct multiple tests before providing any diagnosis.
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