The Clinical Picture Is More Important than Lab Tests
Once the initial hype settles down, the same issues tend to limit clinical applicability for all these tests: lack of specificity for Alzheimer’s disease (which means that the same abnormalities are also seen in other diseases), uncertainty about whether they can be used at the stage of mild cognitive impairment to predict future Alzheimer’s disease, and absence of replication in large-scale studies. If your doctor orders one of these (or other) tests, keep in mind that an abnormality on one of these tests does not necessarily mean you have Alzheimer’s; the whole clinical picture needs to be taken into account before any diagnosis is made.
Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease versus Age-Related Memory Loss Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by steady, progressive deterioration, with an average decline of 10 to 15 percent annually in memory test scores. Age-related memory loss is a different kettle of
fish, and it is rare to see a decline of more than 1 to 4 percent annually in memory test scores.
Signs of Mild to Moderate (Early to Midstage) Alzheimer’s Disease
Frequently forgetting to turn off the stove.
Getting lost when driving to a familiar place.
Repeated mistakes in balancing checkbooks.
Mistakes in executing familiar tasks at work or at home.
Forgetting to get most of what was needed from the grocery store.
Repeating the same phrases or sentences in conversation due to poor memory.
Coming to Terms with the Illness
Family members are often much more aware of the nature and likely course of the illness than the patient. This is because the dementing process often destroys the brain centers responsible for self-awareness, including the patient’s own awareness of decline in intellectual capacity. Nonetheless, some family members refuse to accept that the patient indeed has a brain disease and get upset when he or she behaves in an irrational fashion. Coming to terms with the changing personality of the person they once knew is never an easy task.
Later stages of the illness are characterized by confusion and disorientation, inability to recognize family members, breakdown in the ability to manage bodily functions, and incontinence of urine. Some patients become mute, and psychosis and behavioral changes like agitation and aggression may occur. Managing patients in the final stages is virtually impossible at home, and admission to a nursing home or similar long-term care facility becomes necessary. For family members and close friends, the most disturbing turning point seems to be when the patient can no longer recognize them and has ceased to be the person whom they once knew and loved.
Taken From: The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss
and Enhance Memory Power
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