Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that occurs when nerve cells in the brain die. It is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia and often results in the following:
- Impaired memory, thinking, and behavior
- Confusion
- Restlessness
- Personality and behavior changes
- Impaired judgment
- Impaired communication
- Inability to follow directions
- Language deterioration
- Impaired thought processes that involve visual and spatial awareness
- Emotional apathy
With Alzheimer's disease, motor function is often preserved. According to the Alzheimer's Association, the following are the most common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
- Memory loss that affects job skills, especially short-term memory loss
- Difficulty performing familiar tasks
- Problems with language
- Disorientation to time and place
- Poor or decreased judgment
- Problems with abstract thinking
- Misplacing things
- Changes in mood or behavior
- Changes in personality
- Loss of initiative
- Loss of ability to recognize who people are, even people well known to the individual, such as his or her child or spouse, when the disease progresses to a severe stage