Patients with Alzheimer's disease often forget important events or lose things, narrow their interest in daily activities, lose interest in others and become isolated. With the development of the disease, patients often become irritable, confused, depressed, anxious and even aggressive.
Especially at night, scientists call this phenomenon "sunset syndrome", which may be caused by fatigue or disorder of brain biological clock. In addition, patients with neurocognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease also show one or more other cognitive impairments, speech difficulties, dyskinesia, inability to recognize objects or fail to complete plans, which seriously affect individual social and professional functions.
So how to diagnose Alzheimer's disease as soon as possible?
The cognitive decline caused by Alzheimer's disease develops slowly in the early and late stages, and deteriorates rapidly in the middle stage. The average survival time of patients after diagnosis is about 8 years. Although many individuals have lived for 10 years under the care of others, the disease can be manifested around 40-50 years old, but it is more common in people aged 60-70 years old, and about 50% of neurocognitive impairment cases are caused by Alzheimer's disease.
Some studies on the prevalence rate prove that Alzheimer's disease is more common among people with lower education level. The high prevalence rate among uneducated people may indicate that the onset of Alzheimer's disease is very early, and the intellectual problems caused by it hinder the individual's educational experience, or it may be because intellectual achievements can prevent or delay the onset of symptoms.
Unfortunately, however, once people with higher education show these symptoms, their abilities will decline even faster.
Therefore, it shows that education level is not necessarily related to the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease, and the decline of brain level may be related to individuals.
Based on this theory, the viewpoint of "cognitive reserve hypothesis" appeared. This hypothesis holds that the more synapses an individual develops in his life, the more neurons will die before he shows obvious dementia symptoms. Intellectual activities in education construct synaptic reserves, which play a protective role in the early development of diseases.
Here, I would like to introduce DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for severe or mild neurocognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease. It should be noted that in order to make a diagnosis as soon as possible, in addition to the obvious features mentioned above, it is necessary to go through a detailed medical history or systematic nervous system examination to prove that it is "Alzheimer's disease", and the process is very complicated.
First of all, it is necessary to meet the diagnostic criteria of severe or mild neurocognitive impairment, the onset is hidden, and one or more cognitive fields are gradually damaged. For severe neurocognitive impairment, there must be at least two areas. The criteria are as follows:
Severe neurocognitive impairment:
There is evidence that genetic variation can lead to Alzheimer's disease through family history or genetic examination.
There is clear evidence that the function of individuals in memory, learning and at least one other cognitive field has declined.
The condition developed steadily, and the cognition was gradually impaired, and the platform period was not prolonged.
There is no evidence of mixed etiology. Including no other neurodegenerative diseases or cerebrovascular diseases, or other neurological, mental and systemic diseases or diseases that may lead to cognitive decline.
Mild neurocognitive impairment:
If there is no evidence of genetic variation leading to Alzheimer's disease through family history or genetic examination, and the following three points are met, the diagnosis may be caused by Alzheimer's disease.
There is clear evidence that memory and learning ability decline.
The condition develops steadily, and the cognition is gradually impaired, and there is no continuous platform period.
There is no evidence of mixed etiology. Including no other neurodegenerative diseases or cerebrovascular diseases, or other neurological, mental and systemic diseases or diseases that may lead to cognitive decline.
To sum up, for ordinary people, in order to find Alzheimer's disease as soon as possible, the following methods are needed:
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1. Observe the objects around you and see if there are any signs that people often forget important events or lose things, narrow their interest in daily activities, lose interest in others, become socially isolated, lose their memory, orientation, judgment and reasoning ability, and become irritable, anxious and depressed. If this situation is obvious, please seek medical attention immediately.
2. Go to the hospital for monitoring, conduct professional psychological evaluation, and delay the deterioration of symptoms and shorten the time when individual functions are seriously damaged through the mode of biological, psychological and social treatment. In the early stage, caregivers need to have a basic understanding of the causes, treatment methods, costs and legal issues of neurocognitive impairment, and know where to seek help. As the disease progresses, patients will need more and more help.
Mini Mental State Assessment Scale (MMSE)
Please click to enter a picture description.
Like the MMSE above, the standard is: the highest score is 30, 27-30 is normal, and less than 27 is cognitive dysfunction;
Classification criteria will be based on academic qualifications: illiteracy is below 17, primary school is below 20, secondary school is below 22, and university is below 23.
The severity of dementia is graded as follows: mild is greater than 2 1, moderate is 10-20, and severe is less than 9.
The specific explanation can be explained by the doctors in the hospital after professional evaluation.