Alzheimer’s is a brain disease in which neurons progressively degenerate. Alzheimer’s disease generally goes through certain stages that will cause changes in the life of both the patient and the family around him. Because the disease affects each individual differently, the symptoms, the order in which they appear, and the duration of each stage vary from individual to individual. In most cases, the disease progresses slowly and the symptoms of each stage can overlap, often making the change from one stage to another quite subtle.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s nor can its progression be reversed; however, current treatment options and lifestyle choices can often significantly delay the progression of the disease. These are its stages:
Stage 1: preclinical Alzheimer’s
Changes due to the disease can begin years or even decades before diagnosis. This long phase is known as the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease. During this stage, the patient will not have any noticeable clinical symptoms – although imaging technologies can detect deposits of a protein called beta amyloid, which is responsible for plaques or knots. These groups of proteins can block cell-to-cell signaling and activate cells of the immune system that trigger inflammation and destroy cells.
Researchers are studying this preclinical stage to determine what factors can predict the risk of progression from normal cognition to stage 2 Alzheimer’s disease.
Therapies carried out in the early stages of the disease may be more effective and may slow the progression of the disease.
Stage 2: mild cognitive impairment
Mild cognitive impairment is more significant cognitive impairment than that which occurs as a normal part of aging, but occurs before the more severe impairment of dementia. Between 15 and 20% of people 65 and older have mild cognitive impairment.
It is important to note that not all people with mild cognitive impairment will develop dementia (about 10-15% according to the Mayo Clinic).
A person with mild cognitive impairment may notice subtle changes in their ability to remember things, be it events, recent appointments, or conversations. However, these changes are not severe enough to interfere with the rhythm of daily life or usual activities. People with mild cognitive impairment can also experience depression, irritability, aggression, apathy, and anxiety.
As of yet, no drugs or therapies have regulated approval to treat mild cognitive impairment. However, studies are being done to identify treatments that can help improve symptoms, prevent or even slow their progression to dementia.
Stage 3: mild dementia
The mild dementia stage is the point at which doctors generally diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. At this stage, the disease becomes visible to friends and family, and memory problems can also begin to affect daily life. Symptoms of mild dementia include : difficulty remembering newly learned information, asking the same question repeatedly, having trouble solving certain questions and completing tasks, experiencing lag in judgment, becoming shy or irascible, having difficulty finding the right words to describe an object or idea or get lost.
Stage 4: moderate dementia
At this stage, the patient is increasingly confused and forgetful. You may need help with daily tasks and taking care of yourself. Symptoms of moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease include: getting lost and forgetting the way back, not remembering the day of the week or month, mistaking close family and friends or strangers for relatives, making up stories to fill in the gaps memory, repeating the most memorable memories, forgetting personal information such as phone number or address, needing assistance with bathing or grooming, seeing or hearing things that do not correspond to reality, restlessness or agitation or having physical outbursts, which can lead to be aggressive.
Stage 5: severe dementia
During this stage, mental abilities continue to decline, while movement and physical abilities can significantly worsen. Symptoms include: inability to speak and communicate coherently, inability to sit or lift head, loss of ability to swallow, needing full assistance with self-care, eating, dressing, or using the bathroom, stiff muscles, and abnormal reflexes or inability to control bladder and bowel movements.
A person with Alzheimer’s has a high chance of dying from pneumonia, since the loss of the ability to swallow means that food and drink can enter the lungs and cause infection. Other common causes of death among Alzheimer’s disease patients are dehydration, malnutrition, and other infections.
