Via practica 10/2008

ALZHEIMER DEMENTIA

The dementia has increased marketedly over the past 15 years. At present, dementia affect at least 5 million people in Europe and is associated with significant physical social and psychological disability of the patients. It represents also important economical problem. Alzheimer disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Memory disturbances appear early, at first affecting the ability to learn, and later causing impairment in recognition memory, attention, emotion, sociability. The article describes the pathophysiology, the clinical picture, the assessment, differential diagnosis, therapy and behavioral and psychological approach of this problem. The appropriate care and management of patients with dementia require a multidisciplinary and multi-agencies approach.

Keywords: Alzheimer dementia, pathophysiology, clinical picture, differential diagnosis, therapeutic possibilities.