Synonyms
Alzheimer’s disease, “Alzheimer’s disease”, Alzheimer’s disease, Alzheimer’s dementia, Alzheimer’s disease
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease is a specific form of dementia, i.e. a reduction in intelligence acquired over the course of a lifetime. The basis of the disease is changes in the structure of the brain, shrinking of the cerebral cortex and the extensive destruction of brain cells in certain regions. This manifests itself, among other things, in severe memory, behavioral, thinking and personality disorders.
The disease progresses progressively until the patient is in complete need of care, which can be an immense psychological burden for those affected and their relatives. The exact mechanism of the disease is currently still unclear, so a causal therapy is not possible. Nevertheless, there are possibilities to influence and delay the course of the disease in a favorable way through drug and psychological-pedagogical therapy.
Definition
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia based on the destruction of nerve cells and neural circuits in the brain, which is associated with the excessive deposition of certain substances in the brain and brain vessel walls.
Frequency
Alzheimer’s disease is considered the most common cause of dementia in Western nations. Women are affected more frequently overall, and the incidence in the population is reported to be about 5% of those over 65 and about 20% of those over 80. There is a genetic component to the disease, but other factors also play a role in its development. In the context of trisomy 21, the risk of Alzheimer’s dementia is many times higher.
Cause
The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is ultimately unclear. In autopsy specimens of the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients, increased deposits of certain “protein lumps” (“plaques”) and threads (“fibrils”) appear under the microscope. These are also found to a much lesser extent in the normal aging process or other brain diseases, but are nevertheless suspected to be a cause of the progressive degradation processes in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
In the course of the disease, brain cells die off, which manifests itself in a shrinking of the affected brain regions, which can also be shown in sectional imaging techniques such as computer or magnetic resonance imaging. The frontal, temporal and parietal lobes are particularly affected, although the clinical symptoms do not necessarily correspond to the extent of the recognizable changes. Biochemically, several messenger systems are affected by cell death, the drug influence of which is a main pillar of Alzheimer’s therapy. The involvement of phospholipase D in Alzheimer’s disease is also discussed.
