The Alzheimer's Disease

 The most common age-related incapacitating condition of the central nervous system is Alzheimer's Disease, a progressive disorder characterized by the loss of higher cerebral functions. It is the most common cause of senile dementia, or senility. The first symptoms may appear at 50 to 60 years of age, although the disease occasionally affects younger individuals. The effects of Alzheimer's disease are widespread; an estimated 2 million people in the United States, including roughly 15 percent of those over age 65, have some form of the condition, and it causes approximately 100,000 deaths each year. Moreover, the condition can have devastating emotional effects on the patient's immediate family.

In its characteristics form, Alzheimer's disease produces a gradual deterioration of mental organization. The afflicted individual loses memories, verbal and reading skills, and emotional control. As memory losses continue to accumulate, problems become more severe. The affected person may forget relatives, a home address, or how to use a telephone. The loss  of memory affects both intellectual and motor abilities, and a patient with severe Alzheimer's disease has difficulty performing even the simplest motor tasks. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but a few medications and supplements slow its progress in many patients.