Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease treatment with folk remedies Drugs that can slow down the development of Alzheimer's disease

For many years now, scientists have been trying to find a reliable cure for Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, at the moment this disease cannot be treated; we have only been able to find ways to slow down the development of senile dementia in older people.

Already when the first symptoms of the disease appear, it is worth preparing for the progression of the pathology.

For some time, the development of the disease can be stopped with the help of drug therapy.

Symptoms of the disease

Different stages of the disease have their own symptoms.

At an early stage

First, memory begins to suffer.

Reference! Violations can be short-term or long-term:

Short-term failures in memory develop gradually; over time, a person is forced to write down his plans in a notebook, so as not to forget to do something again.

Some patients try to hide their emerging memory lapses.

Usually, relatives begin to notice the emerging disease at a time when a person often forgets significant moments in life or events.

Later, progressive loss of long-term memory occurs:

• A person now forgets not only about his plans and promises, he begins to forget the names of objects, names of people, etc.
• Thinking abilities gradually weaken.
• It becomes difficult for a person to concentrate.
• The person begins to suffer from depression. This is often due to the appearance of memory lapses and suspiciousness of the patient.
• There is also increased anxiety.
• This condition leads to psychosis, which is replaced by apathy and loss of interest in everything around.

What are the first symptoms and signs of Alzheimer's disease are described in the video:

Pathology progression

At this stage the person is already finds it difficult to navigate modern times. He is unable to remember the date or even the year in which he is.

A person can get lost when going outside. Such patients become overly suspicious, leading to paranoia. They find it difficult to control their emotions.

Late stage

At this stage of the disease a person already has difficulty controlling the physiological processes in the body. The patient does not make contact with others.

Many patients have difficulty moving and are often confined to a wheelchair.

Causes

At present, the exact cause of Alzheimer's disease has not been established. There is an opinion that the disease develops due to prussic plaques, which form in the vessels of the brain, leading to the death of neurons.

Other possible reasons development of the disease:

1. Statistics have shown that this pathology more often affects people with a low level of intelligence. It is believed that people engaged in mental work have more developed connections between the nerve cells of the brain. And even if there are dead cells, their functions will be performed by others that were not previously involved.
2. The risk of developing Alzheimer's increases in people over 65 years of age. Patients with Down syndrome are more likely to develop the disease at a younger age.
3. More often this disease is recorded in women than in men, perhaps due to the fact that the weaker sex lives longer.

In the video, the doctor talks about the causes of Alzheimer's disease:

What happens in the body?

As the disease progresses, beta-amyloid protein is deposited in the brain, causing plaque to form in the blood vessels

As a result, neurons are damaged, forming neurofibrillary tangles. All this disrupts the functioning of the connections between neurons, which means it leads to a malfunction of the brain functions (see photo).

The causes of beta-amyloid protein deposition are not fully established.

IN recent years Various hypotheses have been developed regarding the development of Alzheimer's disease:

• One of them suggests the presence of a special gene that promotes the formation of plaques from amyloid beta protein.
• According to other opinions, the causes of the development of the disease include inflammatory processes and cytokines.

Can it be cured?

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable disease, but there are therapeutic measures that can stop the development of the pathology.

Reference! Treatment is aimed mainly at reducing the manifestations of the disease, for example, it helps to cope with insomnia, disorientation in space, depression, anxiety, etc.

Stages of the disease

There are several stages of this disease.

Initial

This stage is in turn divided into three substages:

1. The preliminary stage of dementia, at this time signs of the disease do not manifest themselves. Memory and cognitive abilities are normal. Diagnostic measures do not reveal any deviations.
2. The period of mild Alzheimer's - disturbances are observed in minimal quantities and are perceived as acceptable age-related changes. Especially if the patient is over 65 years old. Everyday forgetfulness prevails.
3. Moderate Alzheimer's – the onset of mild cognitive impairment. This period can last from 2 to 7 years. Exactly on at this stage Doctors diagnose the early stage of the pathology. Often the patient tries to hide his problems.

Stage of focal disorders

At this stage, mild dementia becomes a focal form, in which Certain brain functions are impaired:

1. The inability to form one whole from several parts, for example, the inability to construct geometric figures.
2. The skill of performing daily automated tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and going to the store, is lost.
3. The skill of writing and recording coherent speech is lost, and later words are completely replaced by waves and lines.
4. The patient cannot even do simple counting.
5. As the disease progresses, the person is unable to dress himself or light a match.
6. Movement reflexes are impaired.
7. Speech is impaired. At first, a person forgets words, and later his speech becomes completely incoherent.
8. The patient ceases to recognize loved ones and relatives.

Terminal

All disorders that were listed above reach their maximum stage

Additionally, the following symptoms appear:

1. Loss of the ability to stand up, sit and move independently.
2. More often than not, a person is in the fetal position.
3. Automatically, a person begins to put everything in his mouth, tries to grab something and try it.
4. Speaking skills are lost, the person makes sounds, screams, cries or moos.
5. The body gradually becomes completely exhausted and the patient dies in a senile state.

The three stages of Alzheimer's disease are described in the video:

How to treat?

The disease cannot be completely cured, but its symptoms can be alleviated.

New in treatment

Currently, new methods for treating this disease continue to be developed. Here are some new drugs that have appeared relatively recently.

Vaccination against dementia

This drug was developed by specialists from the USA. The basis of the substance is components aimed at restoring human immunity.

As a result of taking the drug, the death of pathological protein cells occurs. This drug is at the development stage; during this period, scientists from the States were joined by specialists from Europe and Asia.

A tablet a day and no pathologies

This medicine was developed in England.

It involves taking a pill daily that blocks and reduces beta-amyloid levels in the brain by 95%.

A preliminary study was conducted on 200 volunteers. The result exceeded all expectations; there were clear indicators of improvement.

Aerosol for memory loss

Another medical innovation Through the respiratory tract, the drug reaches the brain and promotes the growth of young cells.

Even if there are plaques of amyloid proteins, the substance is able to penetrate through them and improve brain activity.

Stem cells guard thinking

As the disease progresses, cell death occurs. Therefore, the stem cell method involves replacing them with new and healthy ones.

If the therapy is carried out correctly, the symptoms of psychological disorders will completely disappear. Israeli specialists developed this method for replacing mutated genes.

New patch

Medicines have a lot of side effects, contraindications and often cause allergic reactions. To replenish the missing substances in the body, scientists suggest using a special patch.

It contains a certain dose of the desired medicine, and it is safer than its tablet counterparts.

Trazodone

A Cambridge scientist was able to develop a unique drug to combat this disease back in the last century.

Trazodone eliminates signs of depression and psychosis, while causing a minimum of adverse reactions.

The main substance acts directly on brain cells, which eliminates the root cause of Alzheimer's disease and other manifestations of dementia.

Using folk remedies at home

This disease is also fought with the help of folk remedies.

Diet

A specific diet has not been developed specifically for this disease. Therapeutic nutrition is aimed at maintaining general health body.

In order to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, improve their patency and regulate metabolic processes, the diet The following products need to be included:

1. Boiled, steamed or stewed plant foods. As well as fresh fruits and vegetables.
2. White meat in the form of rabbit, chicken, turkey.
3. Various nuts.

Attention! You need to exclude baked goods, dairy products and sweets. In addition, it leads to dysfunction of many internal organs consumption of spices, fatty, fried foods. Alcoholic drinks and smoking are prohibited.

What diet should you follow for Alzheimer's disease is described in the video:

Massage

Massage is aimed at eliminating pain in certain parts of the body, as well as for better blood circulation.

Initially, all actions must be shown by a specialist, after which this responsibility can pass to one of the family members, and massage will need to be done daily:

1. First, stroking and warming movements are made throughout the body.
2. Then they move on to more intense actions.
3. Finally, you can make stroking, rubbing, pinching and tapping movements.
4. As an additional means, take any essential oil. It is better if it is lavender, olive or tea.

Prevention

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, You can try to prevent the development of this disease in the following ways:

1. Raise your intellectual level.
2. Use proper nutrition based on plant foods.
3. Timely treatment of diseases such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension.
4. Quitting bad habits.

This video explains how to avoid Alzheimer's disease:

Which doctor should I contact?

This problem is mainly dealt with by neurologists, but you may also need help from other specialized specialists - a cardiologist, a psychiatrist, etc.

In Moscow

There are many clinics in Moscow specializing in these diseases. One of them is clinic of psychotherapist I. G. Gernet.

In Rostov

Clinical Diagnostic Center "Medicine" in Rostov-on-Don is located on the street Rifle Division and also deals with the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

In Novokuznetsk

The following doctors treat this disease in Novokuznetsk: Ziborova Svetlana Stanislavovna, Sharapova Irina Nikolaevna in City Clinical Hospital No. 1.

In Israel

There are many clinics in this country specializing in mental disorders, the largest of them:

1. Medical complex "Assuta" in Tel Aviv.
2. Medical Center named after. Souraski (Ichilov) in Tel Aviv.
3. Hadassah Central Clinic in Jerusalem.
4. Medical Center named after. I. Rabin in Petah Tikva.

Like any disease, Alzheimer's disease is better prevented than cured.

To do this, you should lead a healthy lifestyle, increase your intellectual potential, eat the right foods and be physically active.

In most cases, Alzheimer's disease leads to severe complications that pose a real threat to your health and life. Among these complications:

• Memory loss
• Decay of mental functions
• Personal disorientation
• Urinary and fecal incontinence
• Loss of reading and writing skills
• Loss of speech function
• Apathy and exhaustion of the body
• Loss of muscle mass
• Musculoskeletal dysfunction
• Fatal outcome

According to medical research, the rate of development of these pathologies and complications has been growing rapidly in recent years.

If you do not take immediate action or do not use effective treatment, then powerful pathological processes will inevitably start in your body, which will lead to the development of a severe form of dementia, personality disintegration and quick death.

Why does Alzheimer's disease mainly occur?

The brain is considered a unique organ that is involved in all processes of the body. Brain cells receive information from all organs and systems, process it, produce the desired reaction, and send appropriate orders to various organs of the body via nerve fibers. Alzheimer's disease (like any other disease) is formed due to a complex of various factors.

Under the influence of these factors, neural connections are disrupted, and therefore certain parts of the brain begin to work incorrectly. In other words, the brain stops giving the “correct” orders for the smooth functioning of your neural system, which leads to Alzheimer’s disease, and then to more serious consequences.

How to cure Alzheimer's disease as quickly as possible?

We offer an innovative method of color pulse therapy, the discovery of which was awarded the Nobel Prize.

The answer is obvious: in order for the neural system to work correctly, it is necessary to restore the clear functioning of the brain centers that regulate it. The innovative device “Vizulon” solves exactly this problem.

The device was created based on the pulse therapy method. This method of treatment is considered by modern medicine, one of the most progressive and highly effective. Thanks to pulse therapy, certain areas of the nervous system are activated, which ensures the elimination of disruptions in its functioning. This occurs due to the impact on the main centers of the brain.

What is the result?

Your cerebral circulation and nutrition of brain cells will improve. The risk of developing severe forms of dementia will be reduced. Memory will improve. The process of destruction of brain neurons will stop or significantly slow down. Life activity will increase. The positive effects of other treatments will be enhanced.

Powerful and effective treatment with the Vizulon device will quickly eliminate the clinical manifestations of the disease, localize the foci of pathology, and reduce the dosage of medications. It will let you live full life and forget about your illness forever. You will regain the ability to engage in active mental and physical activity, delay the onset of symptoms of memory loss and increase your life expectancy.

Do you need effective treatment, but still have doubts?

"Vizulon" is today recognized as one of the most effective methods treatment of diseases of a very diverse etiology. It goes well with traditional treatment methods and allows the body to recover faster. Today the Vizulon device is:

• Treatment method received Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine.
• The history of the device goes back more than 20 years.
• Vizulon takes part in medical exhibitions around the world.
• The press writes about the Vizulon device (publications such as KP and others).
• Vizulon is used by thousands of people in 26 countries around the world.
• Produced in Russia at enterprises of the military-industrial complex.
• Pairs well with a variety of medicines without causing side effects.
• The device has no contraindications.

A chronic progressive degenerative disease of the brain that causes memory impairment and other cognitive dysfunction. This is the most common degenerative disease of the central nervous system, which turns out to be a popular cause of dementia (35-40% of those). The 1-year risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is about 0.3% in the 65-69 age group, 3.4% in the 80-84 age group, and 5.6% in those over 90 years of age.

According to the International Classification of Diseases, the following were previously distinguished:

• presenile form of Alzheimer's disease (Alzheimer's disease itself) - with the onset of the disease before the age of 65 years; characterized by more rapid progression and early onset of aphasia, apraxia and agnosia; in most cases, a family history of the disease can be traced;

• senile form of Alzheimer's disease (senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type) - at onset after 65 years; progresses more slowly, memory impairment remains the main symptom for a long time, while other cognitive impairments are mild; family history is usually not traced.

Today, based on the unity of morphology, both presenile and senile forms of dementia are considered as one disease and are designated by the term “Alzheimer’s disease.” Many studies have suggested that Alzheimer's disease is genetically determined. Four pathological genes have been identified, the carriage of which is associated with a high risk of Alzheimer's disease:

• the gene encoding the amyloid protein precursor (chromosome 21);
• presenilin-1 (chromosome 14);
• presenilin-2 (chromosome 1);
• the gene encoding apolipoprotein E-4 (chromosome 19).

Carriage of these genes means an almost 100% chance of developing Alzheimer's disease between the ages of 40 and 65 years (presenile form). Carriage of the gene encoding apolipoprotein E-4 is associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease after 65 years of age (senile form).

The development of Alzheimer's disease is closely associated with impaired metabolism of the amyloid precursor protein. If this protein is genetically defective or the enzyme systems are defective, the amyloid protein precursor is split into fragments of different lengths. However, they turn out to be insoluble and therefore deposited in the brain parenchyma and the walls of cerebral vessels (stage of diffuse cerebral amyloidosis). Next, in the brain parenchyma, aggregation of insoluble fragments occurs into a pathological protein - p-amyloid. It has neurotoxic properties.

The pathological anatomy of Alzheimer's disease is represented by three main types of changes:

• senile plaques - local accumulations of β-amyloid in the brain substance;
• neurofibrillary tangles - intracellular inclusions consisting of hyperphosphorylated tau protein and contained in altered neurons;
• death of neurons - occurs due to changes biochemical properties tau protein and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles after damage to the inner membrane of the neuron.

According to clinical and morphological comparisons, the degenerative process in Alzheimer's disease begins approximately 10-15 years before the appearance of the first clinical symptoms(latent, or preclinical, stage). Memory impairments gradually develop with relative preservation of other cognitive functions. The average duration of this stage in older people is about 5 years, after which other cognitive impairments and difficulties in everyday life appear, that is, dementia syndrome.

First, the patient forgets the events of the immediate past, then the amnesia spreads to more distant events.

In the following stages of the disease, patients can remember only the most important events of life. Sometimes the “voids” in memory are replaced by fictitious events. At the stage of dementia, along with memory impairment, impairments of other cognitive functions are noted, in particular spatial disorders and speech impairments.

At first, difficulties arise only on routes less familiar to the patient, and then they spread to frequently visited areas, complemented by difficulties in analyzing the spatial relative position of objects. Thus, it becomes impossible for the patient to understand the time using a clock with arrows, to read geographical map and similar actions. This type of cognitive impairment is called spatial agnosia.

Spatial apraxia and agnosia are based on a common mechanism (loss of concepts of three-dimensional space), as well as a common substrate (pathology of the parietal lobes of the brain). In the later stages of the disease, the progression of dyspraxic disorders leads to disturbances in self-care, in particular dressing. The third typical type of cognitive disorders in Alzheimer's disease are speech disorders - they begin with the fact that the number of nouns in the patient's speech decreases; in a conversation, patients sometimes cannot find the right word, replacing nouns with pronouns. As speech disorders progress, the syndrome of acoustic-mnestic aphasia is formed - the patient hears words, can repeat them after the doctor, but does not understand what he heard. Because of this, the understanding of spoken speech is partially impaired, but the patient perceives verbs and adjectives normally. Speech disorders are considered a prognostically unfavorable sign: the rate of progression of dementia in patients with aphasia is the highest.

The progression of cognitive and behavioral disorders naturally leads to difficulties in everyday life and a gradual loss of independence and independence. On initial stages Dementia affects the most complex types of daily activities, such as work, hobbies and hobbies, social activity, and communication with other people. Later, difficulties arise at home and partial dependence on outside help appears. In the stage of severe dementia, patients gradually lose the remnants of cognitive abilities, become absolutely helpless and completely dependent on strangers.

Behavioral disorders regress due to gross intellectual disability. Patients are apathetic and do not make any attempts at vigorous activity. The feeling of hunger and thirst decreases. In the final stages of Alzheimer's disease, patients do not speak or understand speech addressed to them, cannot walk or maintain balance, and have difficulty feeding due to chewing disorders. Death occurs due to complications of immobility or concomitant diseases.

The main clinical stages of Alzheimer's disease are presented as follows:

• Stage I - there are no subjective or objective symptoms of memory impairment or other cognitive functions;
• Stage II - complaints of memory impairment arise, most often of two types: the patient does not remember what he put where, and forgets the names of close friends; when communicating with a patient, memory impairments are invisible; the patient fully copes with work and is independent in everyday life, but is adequately alarmed by the existing symptoms;
• Stage III - at least two of the following signs are identified: the patient cannot find his way when traveling to an unfamiliar place; difficulties in finding words and forgetting names are obvious to loved ones; the patient does not remember what he just read; the patient does not remember the names of people he meets; the patient cannot find an important item that he had previously placed somewhere; during neuropsychological testing, serial counting may be impaired; the patient begins to deny his existing disorders, he is characterized by mild or moderate anxiety;
• Stage IV - symptoms become obvious: the patient is not sufficiently aware of the events occurring around him; he does not remember some life events; serial counting is broken; the ability to find your way and carry out financial transactions is impaired; denial of the defect becomes the main mechanism of psychological defense;
• Stage V - loss of independence occurs; the patient is unable to remember important life circumstances, for example, home address or telephone number, names of family members, name educational institution which I was finishing; disorientation in time or place; serial counting difficulties; patients never forget given name, name of spouse and children; there is no need for outside help with eating and natural needs, difficulties in dressing are possible;
• Stage VI - the patient cannot always remember the name of a spouse or another person on whom he completely depends in everyday life, amnesia extends to most life events; disorientation occurs in time, difficulties in counting within the first ten are observed; most of time the patient needs outside help; the sleep-wake cycle is disrupted; the patient almost always remembers his own name, usually recognizes familiar people, but personality and emotional state, possible delusions and hallucinations, obsession, lack of purposeful activity as a result of loss of ability to do it.
• Stage VII - usually no speech; urinary incontinence occurs; need help with eating; basic psychomotor skills are lost, including walking; in general, the brain loses the ability to control the body.

How to treat Alzheimer's disease?

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease is aimed at stopping the progression of the disease and reducing the severity of existing symptoms. The possibilities of neuroprotective therapy for Alzheimer's disease remain very limited today. In experimental work and within the framework of clinical studies, attempts are being made to influence the main links in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease based on the concept of the amyloid cascade as the main mechanism of Alzheimer's neurodegeneration. However, such approaches are not yet used in clinical practice.

In modern practice, to reduce the severity of the main symptoms of the disease, drugs that optimize synaptic transmission are successfully used, and these are acetylcholine esterase inhibitors and memantine. The basis for the use of the former is the correlation between the severity of acetylcholinergic deficiency and the severity of cognitive impairment and other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. The effectiveness of this therapeutic approach has been clinically confirmed - the severity of cognitive and behavioral disorders decreases, adaptation in everyday life improves, and the burden on caregivers is reduced. Contraindications to the use of these drugs include sick sinus syndrome, bradycardia, severe bronchial asthma, liver disease, renal failure, and uncontrolled epilepsy. When using acetylcholine esterase inhibitors, one should not strive to achieve maximum doses, but stick to a well-tolerated dose of the drug. If, despite the therapy, deterioration of cognitive functions continues, the drug used should be replaced with another acetylcholine esterase inhibitor.

In addition to acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, a non-competitive reversible antagonist of 14-methyl-p-aspartate glutamate receptors, memantine, is used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Its use reduces the damaging effect of glutamate on acetylcholinergic neurons and thus ensures their maximum possible survival, and at the same time improves the condition of the acetylcholinergic system. A contraindication to the use of memantine is uncontrolled epilepsy. In general, the drug is well tolerated by patients. Side effects in the form of agitation and night sleep disturbances are extremely rare.

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and memantine act on different pharmacological targets and do not form drug interactions, so they can be prescribed simultaneously. Combination therapy is most appropriate if monotherapy is insufficiently effective. Antidepressants and antipsychotics are used for symptomatic purposes in the development of depression or behavioral disorders.

Today, the development of Alzheimer's disease is irreversible process and current therapy cannot completely stop its progression. The consequence is severe dementia, which, under favorable circumstances, occurs after a decade.

What diseases can it be associated with?

In the early stages of the disease, criticism of one’s condition is fully or partially preserved. Awareness of a progressive cognitive defect often causes justifiable anxiety and concern. In most cases, patients look confused, actively complain of memory impairment, and may present other complaints reflecting an increased level of anxiety. It is natural that depression develops. As the disease progresses, criticism decreases, and in parallel with this, the severity of anxiety and depressive disorders decreases. They are replaced by behavioral disorders such as increased suspicion, delirium, aggressiveness, aimless motor activity, wandering, daytime sleepiness and psychomotor agitation at night, changes in eating behavior, loss of a sense of distance, tactlessness. A very specific type of psychotic disorder for advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease is delusion of harm. In this state, patients suspect their closest relatives that they are stealing their things, are going to leave them without help, put them in a nursing home, etc.

Aimless physical activity and wandering are no less specific: patients walk aimlessly from corner to corner, shift things from one place to another, and leave home. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that some behavioral disorders, such as irritability and aggressiveness, in some cases may be the patient’s response to the incorrect behavior of relatives (for example, ridicule or excessive care).

In the stage of severe dementia, the neurological status determines gait disturbances associated with the loss of walking skills (gait apraxia). Control over urination and bowel movements is also lost. Some patients develop myoclonus.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease at home

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease occurs at home, but hospitalization is appropriate at the stage of diagnosing the disease. Of no small importance in this clinical picture is differential diagnosis, since the doctor is faced with the task of excluding potentially reversible types of dementia: dysmetabolic encephalopathy due to somatic and endocrine diseases, deficiency conditions, intoxication, normal pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumors, neuroinfections. To identify these conditions, all patients with dementia are shown a full clinical, laboratory and instrumental examination, including neuroimaging, which is only possible in a specialized medical institution.

Current therapy cannot completely stop the progression of the disease, so severe dementia develops over time, the rate of progression of which varies significantly.

What drugs are used to treat Alzheimer's disease?

Neuroprotective therapy:

• acetylcholine esterase inhibitors:
• donepezil - initial dose 5 mg/day in 1 dose, maximum dose 10 mg/day in two doses;
• rivastigmine - initial dose 3 mg/day in two divided doses, maximum dose 12 mg/day in two divided doses;
• - initial dose 8 mg/day in two divided doses, maximum dose 24 mg/day in two divided doses;
• ipidacrine - initial dose 20 mg/day in two divided doses, maximum dose 80 mg/day in two divided doses;
• - initial dose 10 mg/day in two divided doses, maximum dose 20 mg/day in two divided doses.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease with traditional methods

To date, no pharmacological agents have been developed that can completely cure Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, herbal medicines and folk remedies are incapable of this. Any prescriptions of this kind are not taken seriously by traditional medicine, since they do not have a neuroprotective effect. At the first suspicion of a disease, it is recommended to undergo a specialized examination and, if fears are confirmed, to resort to taking medications. Self-medication is unacceptable.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease during pregnancy

Pregnancy and Alzheimer's disease are incompatible phenomena, since the disease develops in old age, when a woman's reproductive function has faded.

Which doctors should you contact if you have Alzheimer's disease?

Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is based on characteristic anamnestic, clinical and instrumental data. An intravital diagnosis is always probabilistic in nature, since a reliable diagnosis can only be established on the basis of a pathomorphological examination.

Anamnestic signs are presented by an imperceptible and gradual onset, but also by a steadily progressive nature.

The main diagnostic sign of Alzheimer's disease is the characteristic clinical picture of dementia:

• memory impairment mainly for recent events,
• other cognitive disorders in the absence of focal neurological symptoms.

Diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease according to ICD-10:

• memory impairment, loss of ability to memorize new material,
• difficulty remembering previously learned information,
• mnestic disorders (objectified using neuropsychological tests),
• impairments in the ability to judge, think (plan and organize) and process information (objectified using appropriate neuropsychological tests),
• decrease in cognitive functions compared to a higher initial mnestic-intellectual level,
• decrease in cognitive functions against the background of preserved consciousness,
• violation of emotional control, motivation,
• change social behavior(emotional lability, irritability, apathy, antisocial behavior).

For a reliable diagnosis, the listed signs must be present for at least 6 months; with a shorter observation, the diagnosis can only be presumptive.

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease, one of the common forms of dementia, “senile dementia.” Most often, Alzheimer's disease develops after 50 years of age, although there are also cases of diagnosis in earlier age periods. Named after the German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, the disease is currently diagnosed in 46 million people in the world and, according to scientists, this figure may triple in the next 30 years. The causes of Alzheimer's disease have not yet been established, just as no effective drug has been created to treat this disease. Symptomatic therapy for Alzheimer's disease can mitigate symptoms, but it is impossible to stop the progression of an incurable disease.

Alzheimer's disease: causes of the disease

It is stated with a high degree of certainty that the main cause of Alzheimer's disease is amyloid deposits in brain tissue, causing disruption of neural connections and cell death, which leads to degeneration of the brain matter.

Amyloid deposits are formed in two variants. Amyloid plaques, which form first in the tissues of the hippocampus and then spread throughout the brain, prevent the organ from performing its functions. Amyloid increases the concentration of calcium in brain cells, which causes their death.
The second type of deposits is neurofibrillary tangles, one of the discoveries of Alois Alzheimer. The tangles he discovered while studying the brain of a deceased patient consist of insoluble tau protein, which also disrupts normal functions brain.

The causes of deposits that lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease have not been precisely established. Neurodegenerative diseases of the brain have been known for a long time, but Alzheimer's disease was distinguished from a number of dementias in 1906 thanks to A. Alzheimer, who observed a patient with progressive symptoms for several years. In 1977, at a conference dedicated to the issues of degenerative diseases of the brain and cognitive disorders, Alzheimer's disease was singled out as an independent diagnosis due to the prevalence of the disease and the need to search for the causes of its development and methods of treatment. At the moment, there are a number of hypotheses and assumptions about the mechanism of occurrence of brain dysfunctions characteristic of this disease, and the principles of maintenance therapy for patients have been developed.

Cholinergic hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease

The first studies conducted to study the causes of the disease revealed a deficiency of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in patients. Acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system and takes part in the transmission of nerve impulses between cells.
This hypothesis led to the creation of medications that restore the level of acetylcholine in the body. However, the drugs were ineffective in treating Alzheimer's disease; although they reduced the severity of symptoms, they did not slow down the progression of the disease. For now medicines This group is used in the course of maintenance therapy for patients.

Amyloid hypothesis

The amyloid hypothesis, based on the destructive effect of beta-amyloid deposits on brain cells, is currently the main one. Despite the reliability of data on the action of beta-amyloid, the reason for its accumulation in brain tissue is unknown. Also, no drug has been created that prevents its accumulation or promotes the resorption of amyloid (senile) plaques. The created experimental vaccines and drugs aimed at cleansing brain tissue of excess beta-amyloid have not passed clinical trials.

Tau hypothesis

The tau hypothesis is based on the identification of neurofibrillary tangles in brain tissue that arise due to disturbances in the structure of the tau protein. This assumption about the causes of the development of Alzheimer's disease is recognized as relevant along with the hypothesis about amyloid deposits. The reasons for the violations have also not been identified.

Hereditary hypothesis

Thanks to many years of research, a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer's disease has been identified: the frequency of its development is much higher in people whose relatives suffered from this disease. The development of Alzheimer's disease is blamed on abnormalities on chromosomes 1, 14, 19 and 21. Mutations on chromosome 21 also lead to Down's disease, which has similar degenerative phenomena in the structures of the brain.

The most often genetically inherited form is “late” Alzheimer’s disease, which develops at the age of 65 years and older, but the “early” form also has genetic disorders in its etiology. Chromosomal abnormalities and inheritance of genome defects do not necessarily lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Genetic predisposition increases the risk of the disease, but does not cause it.

If there is a hereditary risk group, preventive measures are recommended, mainly related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and active intellectual activity: mental work contributes to the creation more neural connections, which helps the brain redistribute functions to other areas when some cells die, which reduces the likelihood of developing symptoms of senile dementia.

Alzheimer's disease: symptoms at various stages

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease in which brain cells die. This process is initially accompanied by impaired cognitive functions, and in later stages – by suppression of the functions of the entire organism.
Despite the variability of symptoms depending on the patient’s personality, the general manifestations of the pathology are the same for everyone.

The first signs of the disease

First of all, short-term memory suffers while long-term memory is preserved. Complaints from older people about forgetfulness and requests for the same information several times are quite typical for both age characteristics brain functioning, and for the first stages of Alzheimer's disease. When the disease is present, forgetfulness increases and it becomes difficult to process new information, remember not only the location of familiar things, but also the names of relatives, your age, and basic information.

The second symptom of the early stage of the disease is apathy. Interest in usual forms of pastime decreases, it becomes more difficult to engage in your favorite hobby, leave the house for a walk, or meet with friends. Apathy reaches the point of loss of hygiene skills: patients stop brushing their teeth, washing, and changing clothes.
Common symptoms also include speech disorders, starting with an attempt to remember a familiar word and ending with a complete inability to understand what was heard, read and the speech itself, isolation, distance from loved ones, disturbances in spatial orientation: difficulty recognizing places, losing the way home, etc. .

In men, the state of apathy is often replaced or alternates with increased aggression, provocative behavior, and sexual behavior disorders.
Often, early diagnosis of the disease is impossible, since the patients themselves are not aware of the symptoms of the onset of the pathological process or attribute them to manifestations of fatigue and stress. One of the common mistakes at this stage is trying to “relieve tension and relax” with alcohol: alcohol-containing drinks significantly accelerate the death of brain cells and cause increased symptoms.

Stages of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease attacks brain tissue, leading to progressive cell death. The process begins in the hippocampus, which is responsible for remembering and using accumulated information, and spreads to other departments. Damage to the cerebral cortex causes cognitive impairment: logical thinking and the ability to plan suffer.

Massive cell death leads to “shrinkage” of the brain, reducing its size. With the progress of Alzheimer's disease, the disease leads to complete degradation of brain functions: the patient is not capable of self-care, cannot walk, sit, eat independently, and in later stages - chew and swallow food. There are several classifications of the stages of development of Alzheimer's disease. The most common stage of the disease is divided into four stages.

Early stage: pre-dementia

This stage precedes the pronounced clinical picture of the disease. When making a diagnosis based on obvious symptoms, the patients themselves and their relatives recall that the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease had already appeared for several years (8 on average), but they were attributed to the consequences of fatigue, stress, age-related decline in memory processes, etc.
The main symptom of this stage is short-term memory impairment: the inability to remember a short list of products to buy in a store, a list of activities for the day, etc. The ever-increasing need for entries in a diary, smartphone, progressive everyday forgetfulness, as well as a decrease in the number of interests should be alarming. increasing apathy, desire for isolation.

Early dementia

It is at this stage that a clinical diagnosis most often occurs. The destruction of brain cells and neural connections spreads from the hippocampus to other parts of the brain, symptoms increase, it becomes impossible to attribute them to the influence of fatigue or overexertion, patients themselves or with the assistance of relatives consult a doctor.
Memory impairment and apathy are accompanied by new symptoms, most often at the first stage associated with speech: the patient forgets the names of objects and/or confuses words that sound similar but have different meanings. Motor impairments are added: handwriting deteriorates, it becomes difficult to put things on a shelf, in a bag, or prepare food. The general impression of slowness and clumsiness is due to degeneration and death of cells in the brain cell responsible for fine motor skills.
As a rule, at this stage, most people cope with most household tasks and do not lose self-care skills, but from time to time they may need help in performing usual tasks.

Stage of moderate dementia

The stage of moderate dementia in Alzheimer's disease is characterized by an increase in symptoms of the disease. There are pronounced signs of senile dementia and disturbances in mental processes: difficulties in building logical connections, planning (for example, inability to dress in accordance with the weather). Spatial orientation is disrupted, patients, once outside the house, cannot understand where they are, which, together with short-term and long-term memory impairments characteristic of this stage, leads to the inability to remember how a person got to this place and where he lives, how the names of his family and himself.
Impaired long-term memory leads to forgetting the names and faces of relatives and one’s own passport details. Short-term memory is reduced so much that patients do not remember eating a few minutes ago, and forget to turn off the lights, water, and gas.
Speech skills are lost, patients have difficulty remembering and choosing words for everyday speech, and reading and writing abilities decrease or disappear.
There are pronounced fluctuations in mood: apathy is replaced by irritation and aggression.
Patients at this stage require constant supervision, although some self-care abilities are still retained.

Severe dementia

Alzheimer's disease in the stage of severe dementia is characterized by a complete loss of abilities for self-care, independent nutrition, and inability to manage physiological processes(urinary and fecal incontinence), almost complete loss of speech, progressing to complete loss of the ability to move and swallow.

Patients require constant care, final stage nutrition is supplied through a gastric tube.

Alzheimer's disease itself is not fatal. Most often, the cause of death is pneumonia, septic, necrotic processes due to the appearance of bedsores, and the addition of diseases of a different etiology to Alzheimer's disease, depending on the individual characteristics of the person.

Methods for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease

Early diagnostic measures help compensate for existing disorders and slow down the development of the neurodegenerative process. If characteristic neurological signs are detected, consultation with a specialist is necessary to identify the causes of their occurrence and correct the condition.

Problems of early diagnosis of the disease

The main reason why the diagnosis of the disease is not carried out at an early stage of pre-dementia is a careless attitude towards the manifestation of primary symptoms, as well as a decrease in the patient’s ability to adequately self-assess his condition, which also manifests itself at the onset of the disease.
Forgetfulness, absent-mindedness, motor clumsiness, decreased performance, which are not compensated by rest, should be the reason for a full examination by a specialist. Despite the fact that the average age of onset of Alzheimer's disease is 50-65 years, the early form begins at the age of 40, and medicine knows cases of the onset of pathology at the age of 28 years.

Characteristic clinical manifestations of the disease

When collecting an anamnesis and analyzing the patient’s complaints, the specialist differentiates them in accordance with the clinical picture of the disease: progressive impairment of memory functions, from short-term to long-term, apathy, loss of interests, decreased performance, activity, mood swings. Often, these signs are accompanied by symptoms of depression, caused by awareness of a decrease in brain function, dissatisfaction with one’s abilities, condition, and the attitude of others.

Alzheimer's disease test

Alzheimer's disease is a disease that, in its external manifestations, can be similar to both temporary conditions caused by transient disorders and some other pathologies. To initially confirm the diagnosis, a specialist cannot rely solely on the results of collecting information from the patient and his relatives; therefore, tests and questionnaires from various sources are used to clarify.
During testing, the patient is asked to memorize and repeat several words, read and retell unfamiliar text, perform simple mathematical calculations, reproduce patterns, find a common feature, navigate in time, space, and so on. All actions are easily performed with intact neurological functions of the brain, but cause difficulties in the pathological process in the brain tissue.
These questionnaires are recommended for interpretation by specialists, but can also be used independently at home. Some tests with interpretation of the results are available on the Internet.

Neuroimaging methods

The clinical picture and neurological symptoms of different neurodiseases are similar, for example, Alzheimer's disease requires differentiation of the diagnosis from vascular disorders of the brain, the development of cystic inclusions, neoplasms, and consequences.
For accurate diagnosis, instrumental examination methods are used: MRI and CT.

Magnetic resonance imaging method

Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is the preferred test for suspected Alzheimer's disease. This neuroimaging technique allows us to identify characteristic features diseases such as:

• decrease in the amount of brain matter;
• presence of inclusions;
• metabolic disorders in brain tissue;
• expansion of the ventricles of the brain.

MRI is performed at least twice at monthly intervals to assess the presence and dynamics of the degenerative process.

Computed tomography of the brain

Computed tomography is another neuroimaging method used in diagnosis. However, the lower sensitivity of the device compared to MRI makes it possible to recommend it for diagnosing the state of brain tissue in the later stages of the disease, when brain damage is quite significant.

Additional diagnostic methods

Positron emission tomography is considered the most modern method diagnostics, allowing to identify the disease even at the earliest stages. This technique has limitations for patients with elevated blood sugar concentrations, since in order to accurately determine the presence of disorders in the intracellular metabolism of brain tissue, a pharmacological drug is administered to the patient before the examination. No other contraindications to PET have been identified.
For additional diagnostics if Alzheimer's disease is suspected, differentiation from other diseases and assessment of the patient's condition, EEG, laboratory tests of blood, plasma (NuroPro test), and cerebrospinal fluid analysis can be performed.

Treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable disease, so therapy is aimed at combating the symptoms and manifestations of the pathological process and, if possible, slowing it down.

Drug therapy

In accordance with the studies conducted, groups of medications have been identified that reduce the activity of the formation of deposits that destroy brain cells, as well as drugs that help improve the quality of life of patients. These include:

• anticholinesterase group: Rivastimin, Galantamine, Donesipin in various forms of release;
• Akatinol memantine and analogs that counteract the effects of glutamate on brain cells;
• symptomatic medications: amino acids, medications that improve cerebral circulation, reduce increased psycho-emotional stress, manifestations of mental disorders in the later stages of dementia, etc.

Alzheimer's disease: prevention methods

Alzheimer's disease is a disease in which the brain loses its functions due to cell death and disruption of neural connections. However, it has been proven that the human brain is quite plastic; cells and parts of the brain can partially replace the affected areas, performing additional functions.

In order to provide the brain with the opportunity for such self-compensation, the number of neural connections must be high enough, which happens in people with mental activities, intellectual hobbies, and a variety of interests. Research shows that Alzheimer's disease directly correlates with IQ level: the higher the intelligence, and therefore the number of stable neural connections in the brain, the less often the disease manifests itself.

It is also known about the relationship between studying foreign languages and the development of senile dementia: the more knowledge, the lower the risks of getting sick. Even at the initial stage of the disease, you can slow down the development of symptoms if you actively begin to train your memory, read and retell information, and solve crossword puzzles. Alzheimer's disease is a disease that destroys neural connections, and its effects can be countered by creating new ones.

Prevention methods also include a healthy lifestyle, physical activity, a balanced diet, and avoidance of alcohol. It is not yet known what mechanisms trigger Alzheimer's disease, but there is evidence that head injuries can also cause the onset of the disease. Prevention of injuries also serves as a prevention of Alzheimer's disease, a disease that disrupts the quality of life not only of the patients themselves, but also of their relatives and friends.