User:Nora patterson/sandbox

MEMORY AND AGING Memory loss can be partial or total. Most memory loss occurs as part of the normal aging process. Age-related memory loss occurs gradually and is usually permanent. It is barely noticeable at first, but progressively gets worse. The brain reaches its maximum size during a person's early twenties, and then begins to slowly decline in volume. The types of memory that is lost due to aging includes both episodic and longer term memory. Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, and Dementia are commonly associated with memory loss and aging.

DEMENTIA Dementia is a term used to describe a set of symptoms, including impairment in memory, reasoning, judgment, language and other thinking skills. Dementia begins gradually in most cases, worsens over time and significantly impairs a person's abilities in work, social interactions and relationships. Memory loss is usually the first sign of dementia that is noticed, but other signs may include: Asking the same questions repeatedly,forgetting common words when speaking, mixing words up, taking longer to complete familiar tasks,misplacing items in inappropriate places, getting lost while walking or driving around a familiar neighborhood, undergoing sudden changes in mood or behavior for no apparent reason, or becoming less able to follow directions.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily living. Symptoms of Alzheimer's usually become present around age 60. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older people. Plaques and tangles, and the loss of connection of the nerve cells are the three main factors of Alzheimer's in the brain. An estimated 5.1 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's. The incidence of Alzheimer's increases with age, and unless a treatment is found, the number of Americans with Alzheimer's is likely to rise as well.