Author: hecchen
Proposed Project
My topic is on Alzheimer’s disease and specifically, can online surveys determine if a patient have alzheimer’s. Some sources I plan to use is looking at wikipedia, blogs, discussion boards, and research articles to aid in forming valid questions to help the patient to determine if they have alzheimer’s or not. Looking at wikipedia pages on alzheimer’s, there is a large amount of information about Alzheimer’s therefore finding the right information that can be validated by professionals. In the website, I plan to put some information related to my topic in addition to the quiz that I will create and post on another tab. This would give readers a better understanding if they have Alzheimers and the different symptoms they may or may not have. Some international standards includes, the Health On the Net Foundation (HON) promotes and supports the deployment of useful and reliable online health information, and its appropriate and efficient use. This may be one standard that should be achieve to ensure that the information about Alzheimer’s is correct.
7 Levels of Severity
Level 1 -NO COGNITIVE DECLINE: There is no complaints of memory deficit and no memory deficit is evident on clinical interview.
Level 2– VERY MILD COGNITIVE DECLINE (Age Associated Memory Impairment):
There are complaints of memory deficit, most common in following areas:
(a) forgetting where one has placed familiar objects
(b) forgetting names one formerly knew well
No objective evidence of memory deficit on clinical interview as well as no objective deficits in employment or social situations. Appropriate concern with respect to symptomatology.
Level 3 – MILD COGNITIVE DECLINE (Mild Cognitive Impairment):
Level 3 has the earliest clear defining deficits. Manifestations in more than one of the following areas:
(a) patient may have gotten lost when traveling to an unfamiliar location
(b) colleagues become aware of patient’s lack of poor performance
(c) words and names finding deficit becomes evident to close friends
(d) patient may read a passage or a book and hold onto relatively little material
(e) patient may demonstrate decreased facility in remembering names upon introduction to new people
(f) patient may have lost or misplaced an object of value
(g) concentration deficit may be evident on clinical testing
Objective evidence of memory deficit obtained only with an intensive interview. Decreased performance in demanding employment and social settings. Denial begins to become manifest in patient. Mild to moderate anxiety accompanies symptoms.
Level 4 – MODERATE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Mild Dementia):
Clear-cut deficit on careful clinical interview. Deficit manifest in following areas:
(a) decreased knowledge of current and recent events
(b) may exhibit some deficit in memory of ones personal history
(c) concentration deficit elicited on serial subtractions
(d) decreased ability to travel, handle finances, etc.
Frequently no deficit in following areas:
(a) orientation to time and place
(b) recognition of familiar persons and faces
(c) ability to travel to familiar locations.
Inability to perform complex tasks. Denial is dominant defense mechanism. Flattening of affect and withdrawal from challenging situations frequently occur.
Level 5 – MODERATELY SEVERE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Moderate Dementia):
Patient can no longer survive without some assistance. Patient is unable during interview to recall a major relevant aspect of their current lives, e.g., an address or telephone number of many years, the names of close family members (such as grandchildren), the name of the high school or college from which they graduated. Frequently some disorientation to time (date, day of week, season, etc.) or to place. An educated person may have difficulty counting back from 40 by 4s or from 20 by 2s. Persons at this stage retain knowledge of many major facts regarding themselves and others. They invariably know their own names and generally know their spouses’ and children’s names. They require no assistance with toileting and eating, but may have some difficulty choosing the proper clothing to wear.
Level 6 – SEVERE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Moderately Severe Dementia):
May occasionally forget the name of the spouse upon whom they are entirely dependent for survival. Will be largely unaware of all recent events and experiences in their lives. Retain some knowledge of their past lives but this is very sketchy. Generally unaware of their surroundings, the year, the season, etc. May have difficulty counting from 10, both backward and, sometimes, forward. Will require some assistance with activities of daily living, e.g., may become incontinent, will require travel assistance but occasionally will be able to travel to familiar locations. Diurnal rhythm frequently disturbed. Almost always recall their own name. Frequently continue to be able to distinguish familiar from unfamiliar persons in their environment. Personality and emotional changes occur.
It should also be noted that it varies from one patient to another. Some variables include:
(a) delusional behavior e.g., patients may accuse their spouse of being an impostor, may talk to imaginary figures in the environment, or to their own reflection in the mirror
(b) obsessive symptoms, e.g., person may continually repeat simple cleaning activities
(c) anxiety symptoms, agitation, and even previously nonexistent violent behavior may occur
(d) cognitive abulla, i.e., loss of willpower because an individual cannot carry a thought long enough to determine a purposeful course of action.
Level 7 – VERY SEVERE COGNITIVE DECLINE (Severe Dementia):
All verbal abilities are lost over the course of this stage. Frequently there is no speech at all -only unintelligible utterances and rare emergence of seemingly forgotten words and phrases. Incontinent of urine, requires assistance toileting and feeding. Basic psychomotor skills, e.g., ability to walk, are lost with the progression of this stage. The brain appears to no longer be able to tell the body what to do. Generalized rigidity and developmental neurologic reflexes are frequently present.
History of Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease was first described in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In the century since then, scientists have gain understanding how Alzheimer’s affects the brain and learning how to make life better for affected individuals and families. Below are some important findings related to Alzheimer’s disease, including the founding of the Alzheimer’s Association in 1980 that played an important role in advancing research and raising awareness of the disease.
7 Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Stage 1 – NO SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER’S ARE SEEN.
Stage 2 – FORGETFULNESS: Very mild cognitive decline. For example, problems such as: vagueness of where familiar objects are, complaints about not remembering well, forgetting names once well known. There is however, no loss of abilities in social interactions or in employment situations.
Stage 3 – CONFUSION EARLY STAGE: Mild cognitive decline. For example, problems such as: getting lost when traveling to a familiar location; noticeably lowered performance level at work; trouble finding words and names; little retention from reading; little or no ability to remember names of new people; loss of valued objects and trouble concentrating.
Stage 4 – CONFUSION LATE STAGE: Moderate cognitive decline. For example, problems such as: decreased knowledge of current and recent events; loss in memory of personal history; decreased ability to handle travel or finances; and inability to perform complex tasks. Appropriate responsiveness to outside stimulation decreases sharply. Denial of any problem, and withdrawal from challenging situations are common.
Stage 5 – DEMENTIA EARLY STAGE: Moderate severe decline. For example: the person can no longer survive without some assistance. Patients can’t remember names of people or places in their lives. They may be disoriented about time and dates. However, they will require no assistance when using the bathroom or eating, but may need help getting dressed.
Stage 6 – DEMENTIA MIDDLE STAGE: Severe cognitive decline. For example: the person may forget the name of the spouse and be unaware of events in his or her life. They are entirely dependent on others for survival. They may have trouble sleeping in a regular pattern.
Stage 7 – DEMENTIA LATE STAGE: Very severe cognitive decline. For example: all verbal abilities are lost and he or she needs help eating and using the bathroom. Eventually they lose ability to walk, the brain appears to no longer be able to tell the body what to do.
Do you think it is Alzheimer’s Disease?
It’s normal for people to become a bit forgetful as they grow older. So how do you determine if it is just plain old forgetfulness or is it a “senior moment” as known as Alzheimer’s disease? One in eight people 65 and older have this devastating form of dementia. In the first stage of Alzheimer’s, it may not be obvious to friends and family but there are some early warning signs to watch for.
Memory and Speech
In early Alzheimer’s, long term memories usually is remains intact while short-term memories become sketchy. Your loved one may forget conversations you had. She may repeat questions that were already answered. The disease also disrupts speech, so she might struggle to remember common words.
Behavior
In addition to memory loss, Alzheimer’s can cause confusion and behavior changes. Your loved one may get lost in familiar places. Mood swings and lapses in judgment are also common, as is poor hygiene. People who were once stylish may start wearing stained clothes and forget to wash their hair.
Don’t Ignore the Signs
It’s hard to face the thought that a loved one could have this disease, but it’s better to see a doctor sooner rather than later. First, the diagnosis might be something else. The symptoms could be caused by a highly treatable problem, like a thyroid imbalance. And if it is Alzheimer’s, treatments work best when they’re used early in the course of the disease.
How Is It Diagnosed?
There’s no simple test for Alzheimer’s, so the doctor will rely on you to describe the changes in your loved one. A mental status test, sometimes called a “mini-cog,” or other screening tests can measure his mental skills and short-term memory. Neurological exams and brain scans may be used to rule out other problems, like a stroke or tumor, and they can provide other information about his brain.