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Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. It is the most common form of dementia. It causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Although age is believed to be a risk factor, about 5% of people are diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's which appears at the age of 45. It's most common symptoms are short-term memory loss and word-finding difficulties, as the disease advances the symptoms gradually worsen. People with Alzheimer's also have trouble with visual-spatial areas (for example they may begin to get lost often), reasoning, judgment, and insight.

There are 7 stages of Alzheimer's each describing changes in abilities as the disease progresses. Stage 1: no impairment and normal function. Stage 2: very mild cognitive decline, the person feels as though they are having memory lapses. Stage 3: mild cognitive decline is early stages of Alzheimer's, doctors can detect problems in memory or concentration. Stage 4: moderate cognitive decline symptoms include forgetfulness of personal history, difficulty performing tasks and lack of ability to perform challenging mental arithmetic. Stage 5: moderately severe cognitive decline there are gaps in memory and it is more noticeable. Persons need help with daily activities. Stage 6: severe cognitive decline, memory worsens and personalities change. Stage 7: very severe cognitive decline, individuals lose ability to respond to their environment and reflexes become abnormal. Although these stages exist, there is no classifying a person in one particular stage as the stages tend to overlap.

There is no known cause of Alzheimer's however, changes in the brain occur long before symptoms of the disease can be identified. There are abnormal deposits of proteins that form amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the brain, and once-healthy neurons begin to work less efficiently. Over time, neurons lose their ability to function and communicate with each other, and eventually they die. The part of the brain most affected by Alzheimer’s is the hippocampus which is important in forming memories. As neurons lose their ability to function and continue to die off the brain tissue shrinks remarkably. Parts of the brain that show shrinking (atrophy) include the temporal and parietal lobes. Although this pattern suggests Alzheimer's, the brain shrinkage in Alzheimer's disease is very variable, and a scan of the brain cannot actually make the diagnosis. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.