What is Alzheimer's disease?

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that cannot be stopped or reversed. The disease severely affects memory, thinking, learning and organizing skills and eventually affects a person’s ability to carry out simple daily activities. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process.

Alzheimer’s is a disease whose symptoms worsen over time. In fact, scientists believe the disease process may go on for 10 years or longer before the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear.

When memory problems do begin to be noticeable, they are often identified as mild cognitive impairment (MCI). At this stage, intellectual function is affected but the ability to function and live independently remain intact as the brain compensates for disease-related changes.

In some people, MCI can hold steady at this stage. However, people with MCI are at high risk for progressing to dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. (Dementia can also be due to a variety of reasons such as Parkinson’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia and more.) With dementia, in contrast to MCI, daily function is affected.

As dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease progresses to late stages, affected individuals cannot carry on a conversation, recognize family and friends, or care for themselves.