From the Guidelines
Alzheimer's disease symptoms include short-term memory loss, confusion, language problems, problem-solving difficulties, poor judgment, visual and spatial issues, personality changes, and behavioral alterations, which progressively worsen over time. According to a recent study 1, dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, affects people differently, with common symptoms such as problems with reasoning, communication, decision making, personality changes, and effects on short-term and long-term memory. The study highlights that dementia can make it difficult to cope with changes to familiar routines and environments, and some rarer types of dementia can also cause visual and auditory hallucinations and visuospatial and visuoperceptual impairments.
Some key symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include:
- Short-term memory loss, where individuals forget recently learned information, important dates, or repeatedly ask the same questions
- Increasing confusion about time and place, frequently becoming disoriented even in familiar environments
- Language problems, with difficulty finding words, following conversations, or naming common objects
- Problem-solving abilities decline, making it challenging to manage finances, follow recipes, or plan activities
- Poor judgment becomes evident in decisions about money or personal care
- Visual and spatial difficulties appear, causing problems with reading, judging distances, or recognizing colors and contrasts
As the disease progresses, individuals may experience significant confusion, need help with basic daily activities, lose awareness of recent experiences, have difficulty recognizing loved ones, and develop physical symptoms like difficulty swallowing, incontinence, and mobility problems 1. The study also notes that people with Alzheimer's disease tend to have a mean survival time of 7.6 ± 2.1 years from onset and 5.8 ± 2.0 years from diagnosis, with both of these figures approximately 1 year shorter for those who had non-Alzheimer dementias.
The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease result from progressive damage to brain cells, particularly in regions controlling memory, language, and thinking, caused by abnormal protein accumulations (amyloid plaques and tau tangles) and disrupted neural connections. High-quality, person-centered care, including psychosocial interventions, is now recognized as the first line of prevention and treatment for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and for supporting quality of life generally in people with dementia 1.
From the Research
Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neuropsychiatric illness that affects the central nervous system, characterized by the accumulation of amyloid-beta and phosphorylated tau (P-tau) protein 2. The symptoms of AD can be divided into several categories, including:
- Cognitive symptoms: such as memory loss, language difficulties, and problem-solving impairment 3, 4, 5, 6
- Functional symptoms: such as decline in daily activities, global functioning, and behavioral symptoms 3, 4, 5, 6
- Behavioral symptoms: such as neuropsychiatric symptoms, agitation, and depression 3, 4, 5, 6
Treatment and Management
Several medications have been approved for the treatment of AD, including:
- Cholinesterase inhibitors: such as donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine, which aim to increase the levels of acetylcholine in the brain 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- NMDA receptor antagonist: such as memantine, which aims to reduce the accumulation of amyloid-beta and slow down the progression of AD 2, 3, 4, 6
- Combination therapy: which involves the use of multiple medications, such as memantine and donepezil, to treat AD 3
Efficacy and Safety of Treatments
Studies have shown that these medications can have significant effects on the treatment of AD, including:
- Improving cognition and global functioning 3, 4, 5, 6
- Slowing down the decline in daily activities and behavioral symptoms 3, 4, 5, 6
- Reducing the risk of adverse events and improving safety 3, 4, 5, 6 However, the efficacy and safety of these treatments can vary depending on the individual patient and the specific medication used 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.