Question

In 500 words,

What are the stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and what symptoms are characteristic of each?

Please use only the references below:

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/stages

https://www.healthline.com/health/stages-progression-alzheimers

Answer 1

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that progresses slowly and worsens in long run. It will affect memory, thinking and behaviour of a person and is the most common type of dementia.patient show the inability to judge, think, remember, speak, solving problems expressing themselves and to move.

day to day task can interfere in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and in the end stage patient become completely dependent on others to do their basic needs.

There are three general stages and in that seven stages related to this disease condition, .symptoms also differ as the stages progress.

stages	time period
mild /early stage	2-4 years
moderate /middle stage	2-10 years
severe/late stage	1-3 years

MILD / EARLY STAGE

PRE-CLINICAL ALZHEIMERS / NO IMPAIRMENT

someone may not have any knowledge about they have the disease. A physician can identify the biomarkers if they have the family history of Alzheimer's disease.

Symptoms: asymptomatic

VERY MILD IMPAIRMENT / NORMAL FORGETFULNESS

Forgetfulness will happen at a greater rate than similarly aged people (>65 years) without Alzheimer’s. They can drive, work, or even participate in social activities.

symptoms: may forget familiar words or locations, family member's name

MILD IMPAIRMENT / DECLINE

work quality will decline and may face difficulty during learning new skills.symptoms are slowly progressing and may take years to progress. Only closed ones can find out the signs of the disease condition.

Symptoms

• when travelling on a familiar route lost the way
• names and right words become hard to remember
• forgetting new names or people
• misplacing valuable objects
• trouble in planning and organising

MILD ALZHEIMERS OR MODERATE DECLINE

In this stage, symptoms are more diagnosable. the patient shows difficulty in daily but complex tasks. mood changes are evident mostly denial and withdrawal. Also, shows a decreased emotional response in challenging situations.

signs :

• awareness of current or recent events would be decreased
• losing memory of personal history
• handling finances and bills become difficult.
• inability to count backwards from 100 by 7s

MODERATE / MIDDLE STAGE

It is the longest stage and as the stage progress person with Alzheimer's will require a greater level of care .

MODERATE DEMENTIA

In this stage, the person requires a lot of care and support otherwise person will experience a feeling of anger and suspiciousness.they can only remember their name and names of their closed relatives but it is difficult to recall current address, major events and to count in a descending order.

signs:

• need assistance with daily activities
• difficulty to handle finance
• Forgetfulness of events or about one's own personal history like telephone number high school, college.

MODERATELY SEVERE ALZHEIMERS

• unable to choose their clothes and need help to put them correctly
• trouble in controlling bowel and bladder
• family members confused with other people and show personality changes
• difficulty in counting backwards from 10
• An increased risk of wandering and becoming lost
• sleeping pattern changes like day sleeping and becoming restless at night.

the person with Alzheimer's feels like

• a fear of being alone
• fidgeting
• frustration
• shame
• suspicions
• paranoia

SEVERE ALZHEIMERS

individuals lose their ability to respond to their environment, to participate in social activities and to control movement. communicating becomes more difficult, Their cognitive skill is becoming worse and they need extensive help to do daily activities. body movement becomes more rigid and some may develop infantile reflexes like sucking.

• increasing difficulty in communicating
• limited speech
• reduced movement
• Grim facial movements replace the smile
• not able to hold their head up.