101 Although Alzheimer s is often associated with elderly people, it can strike younger people like in the film Still Alice (2015) where the protagonist, a linguistics professor, develops Alzheimer s when she is just 50. ALZHEIMER S Alzheimer s disease is named after Dr Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behaviour. What is Alzheimer s? Alzheimer s is a neuro-cognitive disorder, the most common form of dementia. Most people with Alzheimer s develop the disease when they are 65 or older, with less than 10% of cases occurring before then . As a person ages past 65, their risk of Alzheimer s increases. Many people use the words dementia and Alzheimer s disease interchangeably. However, they are not the same thing: as we have seen, some forms of dementia are completely unrelated to Alzheimer s disease. Symptoms Alzheimer s disease has an insidious onset and gradual progression in cognitive impairment. Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer s disease: early signs include difficulty remembering recent events or conversations, but then memory gets ALZHEIMER'S TOP 10 EARLY SIGNS impairment: danneggiamento onset: esordio plaque: placca tangle: groviglio memory loss social withdrawal changes in mood poor judgement misplacing belongings struggling to communicate hard to complete familiar task 204 ADULtS AnD ELDERLy pEOpLE confusion of time and place changes in vision worse and other symptoms develop as the disease progresses. Alzheimer s disease typically progresses slowly in three stages: in the early stage (mild), a person may function independently. They may still drive, work and be part of social activities. Despite this, the person may feel as if they are having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar words or the location of everyday objects; the middle-stage (moderate) is typically the longest stage and can last for many years. As the disease progresses, the person will require a greater level of care; in the severe stage, individuals lose the ability to respond to their environment, carry on a conversation and, eventually, control movement. Causes Alzheimer s disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of proteins in and around brain cells. The causes are associated with plaques and tangles in the brain. Experts say that a small percentage of cases can be related to the mutation of three genes, which can be passed down from parent to child. Treatment There is no cure for Alzheimer s, but there are treatments that may change disease progression, and drug and non-drug options that may help treat symptoms. Donepezil tablets are by far the most common medication used to treat it. People who take care of a person affected by Alzheimer should know about the following tips: allow the person to keep as much control of their life as possible; respect the person s personal space; build quiet times into the day, along with activities; keep well-loved objects and photographs around the house to help the person feel more secure.