What is Alzheimer's

Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder named for German physician Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906. Scientists have learned a great deal about Alzheimer’s disease in the century since Dr. Alzheimer first drew attention to it. Today we know that Alzheimer’s:

- Is a progressive and fatal brain disease
- Is the most common form of dementia
- Has no current cure

Alzheimer's and the brain
Just like the rest of our bodies, our brains change as we age. Most of us notice some slowed thinking and occasional problems remembering certain things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and other major changes in the way our minds work are not a normal part of aging. They may be a sign that brain cells are failing.

The role of plaques and tangles
Two abnormal structures called plaques and tangles are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells. Plaques and tangles were among the abnormalities that Dr. Alois Alzheimer saw in the brain of Auguste D., although he called them different names.

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http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

Three pounds, three parts of the Brain

Alzheimer's Association brain tour.

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http://www.alz.org/brain/01.asp

Stages of Alzheimer's

Experts have documented common patterns of symptom progression that occur in many individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and developed several methods of “staging” based on these patterns.
Staging systems provide useful frames of reference for understanding how the disease may unfold and for making future plans. But it is important to note that not everyone will experience the same symptoms or progress at the same rate. People with Alzheimer’s die an average of four to six years after diagnosis, but the duration of the disease can vary from three to 20 years.
The framework for this section is a system that outlines key symptoms characterizing seven stages ranging from unimpaired function to very severe cognitive decline. This framework is based on a system developed by Barry Reisberg, M.D., Clinical Director of the New York University School of Medicine’s Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center.
Within this framework, we have noted which stages correspond to the widely used concepts of mild, moderate, moderately severe and severe Alzheimer’s disease. We have also noted which stages fall within the more general divisions of early-stage, mid-stage and late-stage categories.

Stage 1:
No impairment (normal function)

Stage 2:
Very mild cognitive decline (may be normal age-related changes or earliest signs of Alzheimer's disease)

Stage 3:
Mild cognitive declineEarly-stage Alzheimer's can be diagnosed in some, but not all, individuals with these symptoms

Stage 4:
Moderate cognitive decline(Mild or early-stage Alzheimer's disease)

Stage 5:
Moderately severe cognitive decline(Moderate or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)

Stage 6:
Severe cognitive decline(Moderately severe or mid-stage Alzheimer's disease)

Stage 7:
Very severe cognitive decline(Severe or late-stage Alzheimer's disease)

More...
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_stages_of_alzheimers.asp

Alzheimers's Disease

Symptoms
Memory loss is usually the first sign of Alzheimer's disease. Many older people may worry about Alzheimer's disease if they start to have memory problems. Having some short-term memory loss in your 60s and 70s is common, and some people with mild memory problems will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease. If you start having memory problems, share your concerns with your family and your doctor.

Examples of normal forgetfulness include forgetting:
Parts of an experience.
Where the car is parked.
Events from the distant past.
A person's name, remembering it later.
Where you left an object, such as your car keys.

Examples of memory loss caused by Alzheimer's disease include forgetting:
An entire experience.
How to drive a car or read a clock.
Recent events, such as forgetting you left the stove on.
Ever having known a particular person.
Alzheimer's disease also causes changes in thinking, behavior, and personality. Early in the disease, the person may still behave appropriately in social situations, leading others to believe that the person is not ill. Close family members and friends may first notice the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, although the person may also realize that something is wrong.

Learn the warning signs of dementia—such as having difficulty thinking or remembering, or having trouble balancing a checkbook—and talk to a doctor if a friend or family member has developed any of the signs. Symptoms vary as the disease progresses.

More...
http://health.yahoo.com/alzheimers-symptoms/alzheimer-s-disease-symptoms/healthwise--hw136643.html