Alzheimer’s Disease Home A-Z Health Information Health Library A-Z Alzheimer’s Disease Overview Alzheimer’s disease accounts for one of the most prevalent causes of dementia among people aged ≥65 years (with a prevalence rate of 4.4%) and is presented more commonly in females than in males. Familial cases are observed at a younger age. Genes involved in Alzheimer’s disease include APP, presenilin 1 and 2, and apolipoprotein E4. The initial stage of dementia is manifested as mild cognitive impairment, and presents a progression risk of 10–15% to Alzheimer’s disease. Causes Deposition of abnormal amyloid proteins in brain Symptoms Memory impairment involving recent memory and daily eventsChallenges in acquiring and remembering new informationVisuospatial impairment (such as getting lost while driving)Difficulty in doing learned motor activities (apraxia) like wearing clothesDifficulty in finding wordsRepetitiveness or asking the same thing repeatedlyForgetfulness of past events in advanced stagesBehavioural changes in the form of decreased social interaction, aggressiveness, and occasionally hallucinations Risk factors Family historyAgeCardiovascular diseasesSedentary lifestyleHead injuriesLoneliness and depressionDown’s syndrome Specialist to approach Neurologist Diagnosis Clinical scores like detailed neurocognitive assessment, mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and Montreal cognitive assessment (MOCA)MRI brain to evaluate loss of hippocampal volume and temporal lobe atrophyFDG PET scan to check hypometabolism in these areas Treatment Cognitive rehabilitationMedical management through acetylcholine receptor inhibitors, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonistsManaging behavioural and psychiatric complications