Doctor's Notes on Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, a brain disorder that interferes with a person's ability to carry out everyday activities. It is a progressive, degenerative brain disorder. Down syndrome is a genetic disorder in which a person has extra genes because of extra chromosome 21 material, which causes delays and limitations in physical and intellectual development. People with Down syndrome have a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.
The main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome include
- confusion,
- disorientation, and
- wandering.
Other symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down syndrome include
- behavior changes,
- inability to perform job duties in those who are higher functioning,
- visual problems,
- cognitive and memory deficits can get lost in familiar environments,
- impaired learning,
- loss of language and communication skills,
- impaired social skills, and
- progressive loss of ability to perform daily tasks.
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, symptoms in individuals with Down syndrome include total dependence on others for dressing, eating, walking, and toilet needs; reduced communication; exaggerated behavioral problems; and psychotic behavior. Physical symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are similar to those in people without Down syndrome and include motor disorders, difficulty walking, eating disorders, problems swallowing (which can lead to choking), and epileptic seizures.
What is the Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease in Individuals with Down Syndrome?
There are currently no medications approved in the United States for the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia in Down syndrome patients.
Cholinesterase inhibitors, a class of drugs approved in other countries to treat Alzheimer's, are approved to treat dementia in people with Down syndrome in some other countries. As of now, there is no conclusive evidence these drugs are beneficial in Down syndrome patients.
Supportive care such as occupational and physical therapy may help early on in the disease process. Patients may need sedative medications, sleep medications, seizure medications, and possibly gastric tubes to help with feeding. Severe cases may need around-the-clock home care or nursing home level care.
Alzheimers Disease : Stages, Symptoms & Signs Quiz
QuestionOne of the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease is __________________.
See AnswerMust Read Articles:
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Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease (AZ) is the most common cause of dementia in industrialized nations. The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are sublte at the beginning, and over time symptoms such as: slow or worsening memory loss, trouble remembering events or activities, difficulty doing familiar tasks, and difficulties finding the right words for familiar things. -
Alzheimer's Disease Facts
Alzheimer's disease is a fatal brain disorder. Familial and sporadic are the two types of Alzheimer's disease. The three stages include early, intermediate, and late. Symptoms are dependant upon the stage of the disease, but include: memory loss, inability to think, inability to reason, inability to judge situations, inability communicate, anxiety, agitation, disorientation, paranoia, severe memory loss, loss of mobility, delusions, and hallucinations. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, medications can be administered to control symptoms. -
Alzheimer's Disease Medications
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in industrialized nations. Treatment for Alzheimer's disease include interventions focusing on behavior, and the medications cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA inhibitors, which have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease. -
Alzheimer's Disease Support
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Alzheimer's Disease Symptoms
Alzheimer's disease is one of the many causes of dementia. Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease typically progress over a period of years. There are warning signs of Alzheimer's, early, middle, and late stage symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. If you know someone who may have the warning signs or symptoms of Alzheimer's disease they should be evaluated by a health care professional. -
Dementia vs. Alzheimer's: What Is the Difference?
Dementia causes memory loss and difficulty thinking, which can interfere with a person’s ability to carry out daily activities, but it is not a specific disease in itself. Alzheimer's disease is a brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. -
Down Syndrome
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by an extra chromosome 21. Down syndrome is also referred to as trisomy 21. Other variations of Down syndrome include Robertsonian translocation and partial/segmental trisomy, and mosaic Down syndrome. There is no treatment for Down syndrome. -
What Are the Stages of Alzheimer's?
Alzheimer's disease is a type of dementia that causes a person to have difficulty thinking, reasoning, and recalling memories. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease and it has seven different stages, beginning with mild memory loss, leading to significant loss of the ability to speak, eat, and more. -
What Is the Life Expectancy for Alzheimer's?
People diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease have a shorter life expectancy than people who do not have the disease. People with Alzheimer's disease generally live four to eight years after diagnosis, but many can live as long as 20 years, depending on other factors. Once a person reaches the final stage of Alzheimer’s, life expectancy is only one to two years.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.