nd Klopp (1912) (as cited in Holstein, 1997), as "general dulling, a weakened memory, disturbances of retention, impairment of judgment, inability to concentrate and reduced initiative"(p. 7). Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include memory impairment and cognitive disturbances. Cognitive disturbances include language disturbance, impaired ability to carry out motor activities, failure to recognize objects, and disturbance in executive functioning such as planning, organizing, sequencing, and abstracting.
Holstein (1997) admits, "it is still unclear how to distinguish 'normal' from 'abnormal' in old age and what the explanation is for the appearance of Alzheimer-like plaques and tangles in persons without clinical symptoms." A German neuropathologist, Alois Alzheimer, discovered the symptoms of the disease in 1906. Until recently, an accurate diagnosis could not be made without an autopsy, which revealed neurofibrillary tangles or unusual knotted, rope-like structures, inside the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex; the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning (Holstein, 1997).
In the last ten years, specialists have developed neurological and psychological diagnostic tests which are approximately 90% accurate in diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. Further, the diagnosis is arrived at by ruling out other possible causes of the symptoms such as cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. An accurate diagnosis is important to the family so they can gain an understanding of why their family member's behavior and mood has changed, and enables them to become educated about the disease and what to expect.
It is unknown what the exact cause of this disorder is, but as stated above, the increasing incidence of the disease has occurred because people are living longer. According to Bellaver (1999), it generally affects people over the age of 65 and it is estimated that between 10-15% of ...