Alzheimer’s cure

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and irreversible brain disease that gradually damages certain brain areas related to speech, body movements, behavior, memory, brainstorming, and analyzing new information. The condition usually appears in the elderly who are over the age of 60.

Alzheimer’s cure is still being researched and analyzed by the healthcare community because of its complicated nature. During the disease, amyloid plaques (abnormal protein build-up) and tangled nerve fibers are seen within the brain. The presence of amyloid plaques and the brain’s trapped nerves are the most common features of Alzheimer’s disease.

Damage to the brain starts in the hippocampus region, an area responsible for forming memories, and gradually spreads to other parts of the brain, further degrading the patient’s health condition.

What to expect when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?

The first problem that usually appears with the onset of Alzheimer’s is confusion, delirium, or impaired judgment. Alzheimer’s cure will be available once discovered. Till then, keeping a tab on the disease progress can work wonders. The affected people will notice having problems with everyday chores like driving a car or buying necessities. With increasing severity, symptoms such as memory loss, communication problems, and a decline in critical thinking and judgment become evident.

Current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

There is no single drug that will stop or slow the progression of the disease. The treatments offered depends on the individual symptoms of the patient. The food and drug administration authority (FDA) has approved medications available for different signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Understanding the different symptomatic treatments available for Alzheimer’s disease can aid the patients and their caregivers alike and improve the quality of life. Here is a list of available treatment options for each of the symptoms:

Treatments for behavioral changes:

Till Alzheimer’s cure is found, we have to understand the specific changes occurring in the patient. Experiencing behavioral changes in a patient with Alzheimer’s is challenging. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s, mood changes include depression, irritability, and anxiety. During later stages, anxiety, emotional distress, delusions, and hallucinations occur.

Consult your healthcare provider to properly evaluate the extent of behavioral changes prescribe effective drugs for treatment.

Treatments for changes in sleeping habits:

The healthcare community treats Alzheimer’s patients with an asymptomatic approach until an Alzheimer’s cure is found. Sleeping habits are disturbed by people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Healthcare professionals and scientists are still unable to find the exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease that leads to sleep changes.

Mild sleep cycle disturbances are often treated with lifestyle modifications. However, people with severe sleep disturbances are recommended sleep-inducing medications such as benzodiazepines, haloperidol, and zolpidem. The sleep-inducing drugs are mostly prescribed to people who show significant loss of cognitive abilities.

Memory medications for Alzheimer’s:

Loss of memory, critical thinking, and learning new information are symptoms that appear early with the onset of the disease. The medications cannot stop memory loss from happening but can slow down the progressive decline in memory. The FDA has approved several medications to administer during mild and severe stages of Alzheimer’s. These medications are not a definitive Alzheimer’s cure rather drugs to prevent memory loss and are widely used in treating other diseases with the same memory loss symptoms.

Medications for early stages include cholinesterase inhibitors. These drugs are effective in treating early-stage symptoms of memory, critical thinking, communication, and judgment. There are three types of cholinesterase inhibitors named donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine.

In the late stages of severe Alzheimer’s, a combination drug named Memantine is prescribed to improve memory, reasoning, and communication abilities.

Promising diagnostic methods and treatments under trial:

The discovery of Alzheimer’s cure might not be that far, after all. Quite a few healthcare companies are working solely to find a promising therapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Below are some mentions that have been successful in their novel diagnostic methods and consequent treatment plans.

Alector:

Alzheimer’s disease’s progress can be checked by measuring the levels of beta-amyloid accumulation in the brain. That is what the company is currently working on to correctly identify the severity of the disease and its current stage. Using their diagnostic technique, the company has used its engineered biomarkers to measure beta-amyloid levels and manage the patients accordingly. We might see such diagnostic procedures being adopted by the healthcare system shortly, moving one step closer to Alzheimer’s cure.

Coenzyme inc.

This biotechnology company has successfully developed small therapeutic molecules that help stop beta-amyloid production, a protein linked with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. They have tested their therapy on animal models and are moving further into human trials before getting FDA approval.

Neurotrack:

Another healthcare company provides 24/7 monitoring and management services for people with Alzheimer’s disease. Keeping a tab on the progress of Alzheimer’s is crucial, and that is precisely what this company does. They monitor your cognitive abilities in real-time, record your progress, evaluate the results, and suggest clinically approved medications discussed earlier. It is not Alzheimer’s cure, but an innovative approach to keep a tab on the progression of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s disease is a challenge for the affected individual, and their caretakers and family members as the problems with memory, communication, and behavior become evident. The healthcare community hopes to find the ultimate cure for Alzheimer’s disease and are working endlessly to achieve their goal.

We hope you found this article on Alzheimer’s cure helpful. For more information on Alzheimer’s, you may be interested in know the differences between Alzheimer and Dementia: Alzheimer VS Dementia

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