A Quick Look at Alzheimer's Disease

1. What Is Alzheimer's Disease

2. An Urgent Epidemic

3. The Race To The Cure

4. A Message For Patients And Their Families

A Disease of a Lifetime

Nearly 14 million people who are today finishing college, starting families and careers, buying homes and going off on vacations, may also be developing Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is often called “old timer’s disease” but in fact begins at a much younger age. Like heart disease, Alzheimer’s is a “disease of a lifetime” that lurks in our genetic makeup and environment, developing slowly over time only to become apparent in older age.

It is no surprise that one of the greatest medical, social, economic and educational challenges this country faces is fighting a disease that destroys lives but does not kill; that is painless but causes years of suffering.

The cost of Alzheimer’s is estimated in dollars at $100 billion a year and rising. In terms of frustration, stress, fear, loneliness and loss, there is no price tag.

Thankfully there is hope. Due to the efforts of medical researchers, caregivers, teachers, legislators, families, and generous supporters, advances in education and research are moving closer to discovering effective treatments and a cure for Alzheimer’s disease.

Understanding the Terminology

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI): It is not uncommon to have occasional memory loss, confusion and forgetfulness especially as we age. Frequent, persistent or bothersome short term memory lapses may be a sign of mild cognitive impairment. Unlike people with Alzheimer’s disease, people diagnosed with MCI are able to carry on with daily activities. MCI may lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Seeing your physician is critical because early diagnosis and treatment may slow the progression of MCI and prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia: The general term used to describe a syndrome characterized by cognitive impairment that is severe enough to impair a persons daily routine. Dementia can affect memory, personality, behavior and a person’s ability to function. Many things can cause dementia and some dementias are reversible. The most common form of irreversible dementia is Alzheimer’s disease. An evaluation by a physician can determine the cause of dementia and possible treatments.

Alzheimer’s disease: A progressive irreversible dementia that damages areas of the brain involved in memory, intelligence, judgment, language and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of irreversible dementia in older adults.

Below are links to topic-specific pages on Alzheimer's disease from the National Alzheimer's Association website.

Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
Warning
Diagnosis
Treatments

Tips for Better Memory

Our ability to remember is a link to our past and a bridge to the future. Memory enables us to learn new things, adapt to changing circumstances, and complete essential tasks.

At least one out of every four older adults report problems with remembering everyday things such as names or where they put things.

Usually this forgetfulness is just annoying and doesn’t affect a person’s ability to do important things.

Most people…regardless of age…can strengthen their everyday memory. Below are some tips for a better memory.

Economize your brain use
Use written notes on calendars or make lists to reduce the amount of detail you need to remember. Pick a place in your home for objects like keys and glasses and always put them there when not in use. Create and use files for paperwork. And most of all, decide for yourself what is important to remember and devote your mental energy to those things.

Practice and repeat
There is truth to the old saying “Practice makes perfect.” If you meet a new person and want to remember her name, repeat it softly to yourself a few times, or find a way to say it out loud in conversation. To remember what you’ve read, stop and repeat the main points to yourself after every few paragraphs, or make notes as you go along.

Use your imagination to make things memorable>
Make a picture in your head about a person’s name. The more colorful and dramatic the picture, the more likely you are to remember the name…e.g., for Jim King, think of King Kong standing in the center of your high school gymnasium.

Pay attention to your health
Many of the things you may be doing to keep your heart healthy are also good for your brain. Maintaining a good weight, exercising, and keeping your blood pressure in check are all associated with better memory performance. Regular check-ups with your doctor to make sure that your blood sugar, thyroid, and folate levels are normal are also important.

Get a good night’s sleep
Sleep is important for consolidating new information into memory, and sleep problems such as apnea can be a cause of memory lapses.

Believe in yourself
Stereotypes about inevitable loss of memory with age can be harmful. Believing that you can make your memory stronger is an important first step. See your doctor if you find yourself feeling discouraged in general…about memory and other things. Feeling persistently “down” can be a sign of depression which can also undermine memory.

Alzheimer's Disease Research

At the WAI...

The WAI's Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer's Prevention (WRAP) is a registry of adult children of persons with Alzheimer's disease. This group is being studied because of their increased risk of developing AD and because they are the ones most likely to benefit from advances in our understanding of it. WRAP will support genetic, epidemiologic and clinical studies designed to identify those factors which may delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Information obtained from participants in the study will then be used to identify persons for appropriate research projects designed to better understand the causes of Alzheimer’s and delay or prevent its onset. Participation is entirely voluntary.

The WAI is currently recruiting 850 adult children of persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and 350 people whose parents did not have Alzheimer’s disease into WRAP. For further information on WRAP, click here.

At the WCMP...

The Wisconsin Comprehensive Memory Program (WCMP) is a unique program combining academic, clinical, and research expertise from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) of the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. This group is affiliated with the WAI and numerous community resources. Click here to visit the WCMP website.

There are currently several studies examining Alzheimer's disease. Some studies are examining the cause of the disease and preventing it, while others are trying to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

Nationwide...

For information on research nationwide, please visit the Alzheimer's Research Forum website. For a listing of clinical trials enrolling patients with Alzheimer's disease, please go to the Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) Clinical Trials webpage.