NINDS Alzheimer's Disease Information Page

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Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)
What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?

Organizations
Related NINDS Publications and Information
Publicaciones en Español
Additional resources from MEDLINEplus

What is Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized in the brain by abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles) composed of misplaced proteins. Age is the most important risk factor for AD; the number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. Three genes have been discovered that cause early onset (familial) AD. Other genetic mutations that cause excessive accumulation of amyloid protein are associated with age-related (sporadic) AD. Symptoms of AD include memory loss, language deterioration, impaired ability to mentally manipulate visual information, poor judgment, confusion, restlessness, and mood swings. Eventually AD destroys cognition, personality, and the ability to function. The early symptoms of AD, which include forgetfulness and loss of concentration, are often missed because they resemble natural signs of aging.

Is there any treatment?

There is no cure for AD and no way to slow the progression of the disease. For some people in the early or middle stages of AD, medication such as tacrine (Cognex) may alleviate some cognitive symptoms. Donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Reminyl) may keep some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. A fifth drug, memantine (Namenda), was recently approved for use in the United States. Combining memantine with other AD drugs may be more effective than any single therapy. One controlled clinical trial found that patients receiving donepezil plus memantine had better cognition and other functions than patients receiving donepezil alone. Also, other medications may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness, agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.

What is the prognosis?

AD is a progressive disease, but its course can vary from 5 to 20 years. The most common cause of death in AD patients is infection.

What research is being done?

The NINDS conducts and supports research on neurodegenerative and dementing disorders, including AD. Scientists are currently studying or testing different types of drugs and other substances to determine if they can stop AD progression, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), statins (such as those used for lowering cholesterol), folic acid, gingko biloba, and vitamins E, B6, and B12. Studies in basic science are also exploring the potential of vaccines. The National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Mental Health also support research related to AD

Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.

Organizations

Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR) P.O. Box 8250 Silver Spring, MD 20907-8250 adear@nia.nih.gov http://www.alzheimers.nia.nih.gov Tel: 301-495-3311 800-438-4380 Fax: 301-495-3334	National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) National Institutes of Health, DHHS 6001 Executive Blvd. Rm. 8184, MSC 9663 Bethesda, MD 20892-9663 nimhinfo@nih.gov http://www.nimh.nih.gov Tel: 301-443-4513/866-615-NIMH (-6464) 301-443-8431 (TTY) Fax: 301-443-4279
Alzheimer's Association 225 North Michigan Avenue 17th Floor Chicago, IL 60601-7633 info@alz.org http://www.alz.org Tel: 312-335-8700 TDD: 312-335-5886 Fax: 866.699.1246	Alzheimer's Foundation of America 322 Eighth Avenue 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 info@alzfdn.org http://www.alzfdn.org Tel: 866-AFA-8484 (232-8484) Fax: 646-638-1546
National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) P.O. Box 1968 (55 Kenosia Avenue) Danbury, CT 06813-1968 orphan@rarediseases.org http://www.rarediseases.org Tel: 203-744-0100 Voice Mail 800-999-NORD (6673) Fax: 203-798-2291	Family Caregiver Alliance/ National Center on Caregiving 180 Montgomery Street Suite 1100 San Francisco, CA 94104 info@caregiver.org http://www.caregiver.org Tel: 415-434-3388 800-445-8106 Fax: 415-434-3508
Association for Frontotemporal Dementias (AFTD) 1616 Walnut Street Suite 1100 Philadelphia, PA 19103 info@FTD-Picks.org http://www.FTD-Picks.org Tel: 267-514-7221 866-507-7222	C-Mac Informational Services/Caregiver News [For Alzheimer's-Type Dementia Caregivers] 120 Clinton Lane Cookeville, TN 38501-8946 caregiver_cmi@hotmail.com http://www.caregivernews.org
National Family Caregivers Association 10400 Connecticut Avenue Suite 500 Kensington, MD 20895-3944 info@thefamilycaregiver.org http://www.thefamilycaregiver.org Tel: 301-942-6430 800-896-3650 Fax: 301-942-2302	Well Spouse Association 63 West Main Street Suite H Freehold, NJ 07728 info@wellspouse.org http://www.wellspouse.org Tel: 800-838-0879 732-577-8899 Fax: 732-577-8644
National Respite Network and Resource Center 800 Eastowne Drive Suite 105 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 http://www.archrespite.org Tel: 919-490-5577 x222 Fax: 919-490-4905	American Health Assistance Foundation 22512 Gateway Center Drive Clarksburg, MD 20871 info@ahaf.org http://www.ahaf.org Tel: 301-948-3244 800-437-AHAF (2423) Fax: 301-258-9454
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization /Natl. Hospice Foundation 1700 Diagonal Road Suite 625 Alexandria, VA 22314 nhpco_info@nhpco.org http://www.nhpco.org Tel: 703-837-1500 Helpline: 800-658-8898 Fax: 703-837-1233	Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (formerly, Institute for the Study of Aging) 1414 Avenue of the Americas Suite 1502 New York, NY 10019 hfillit@alzdiscovery.org http://www.alzdiscovery.org Tel: 212-935-2402 Fax: 212-935-2408
John Douglas French Alzheimer's Foundation 11620 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 270 Los Angeles, CA 90025 jdfaf@earthlink.net http://www.jdfaf.org Tel: 310-445-4650 800-477-2243 Fax: 310-479-0516	Lewy Body Dementia Association P.O. Box 451429 Atlanta, GA 31145-9429 lbda@lbda.org http://www.lewybodydementia.org Tel: 404-935-6444 800-LEWYSOS (539-9767) Fax: 480-422-5434

Related NINDS Publications and Information

NINDS Dementia Information Page
Dementia information page compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Dementia: Hope Through Research
Information booklet about Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and other types of dementia compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
NINDS Multi-Infarct Dementia Information Page
Multi-infarct dementia information sheet compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
NINDS Dementia With Lewy Bodies Information Page
Dementia With Lewy Bodies information sheet compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Myoclonus Fact Sheet
Myoclonus fact sheet compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) fact sheet compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).
NINDS Seeks Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
Lay-language descriptions of new program announcements and clinical trials seeking patient volunteers.

Publicaciones en Español

Las Demencias: Esperanza en la Investigación

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Last updated September 10, 2008