Alzheimer's disease quick numbers and facts to have on hand

Alzheimer's seminar notes

dementia has several features

impairment in daily life that is clinically significant

dyspraxia - inability to do rehearsed motor function

ideomotor - small well rehearsed motor tasks

ideation - dressing/writing

agnosia - 50% of cases unaware of their own dementia

decreased executive function

Alzheimer's path comes in two stages

insidious amyloid beta aggregation (can begin ~10.5 years prior to symptoms presentation)
  Keep in mind of 30% of the population has amyloid burden without any clinical indicators of dementia

Tau hyperphosphorylation w/tangles

Course of the disease includes pathological tissue aggregations well before clinical impairment is seen

1. Medial temporal/entorhinal cortex first to be affected

2. Cingulate

3. Neocortex

i.e. - memory, then limbic, then higher cognitive function

Alzheimer prevalence

5 million Americans, 26 million worldwide

Age 65-74 - 3-5%

Age 75-84 - 15%

Age 85+ - 45%

Risk factors

1. age most robust risk factor

2. female - (could be result of survival bias, women outlive men)

3. genetics (minor), APP, presenilin 1-2, APO-e4

Diabetes and smoking? Odd's ratio of getting Alzheimer's increased to 18-20!!