When Alois Alzheimer described a dementia syndrome for the first time in 1906 he couldn't dream that mentally problem which was later named by him will be the leading disease of nowadays.
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Before that illness was mention meagrely and diagnosed rarely. Alzheimer's disease was recognized in 60's as a sickness described as dementiaonal vascular, arteriosclerosis dementia and chronically organic psychosyndrom. Today from Alzheimer's illness suffer 1-3 percent of whole world population and number of sick people increases constantly.
For the last few decades the object of many discussions is one specific form of discrete cognitive disruption called "mild cognitive disruption" (MCI). Mild cognitive impairment is a condition in which a person has problems with memory, language, or another mental function severe enough to be noticeable to other people and to show up on tests, but not serious enough to interfere with a daily life.
People with MCI have trouble with remembering the name of a people they met recently, have increased tendency to misplace things and trouble remembering the flow of a conversation. It is good to know that not everyone diagnosed with MCI will develop Alzheimer's. But those who belong in that group have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease over the next few years. It happens in 50-65 percent of patients and currently there is no treatment for MCI.
The symptoms appear slowly and almost invisible. Alzheimer disease starts with small memory problems. First symptoms are headache, dizziness, tiredness and irritability. Patient has troubles with the memory forgetting relatively irrelevant data such as rarely mentioned names of people or rarely used words.
When patient start to forget appointments, obligations and important things like to turn off the gas then we talk about more serious problem because in this phase the patient starts to be dependent on other people's help. In advanced phase the patient can't remember the name of children, relatives or closer friends, even her own name. At some point in this phase the patient is depressive and acrimonious.
As illnesses progresses the patient's talking and writing become slower because of impossibility of finding the proper word. Vocabulary becomes small and with a time the patient starts to repeat words automatically in a senseless row. Changing of manners and character appear, the patient become scanty and stubborn. She also has problems with calculation, troubles with orientation and she can't follow the direction how to arrive to a destination. When illness progress patient forgets how to use every day's house things (spoon, soap, keys). In the latest phase of the disease a picking motion appears. Flow of the disease is slow and chronic. An average duration of the disease is from 4 to 5 years or longer.
For proper diagnose the most important thing is to take the anamneses from the patient or her tutor about the problems (in a time line). It is necessary to do analysis of thyroid hormone, folic acid, vitamin B12, and other routine laboratory tests. CT and MRI examination are inevitable part of mental diagnostic. All those methods give doctors more clearly picture do he deal with vascular dementia, Alzheimer illnesses or some third disruption.
Neuropsychological testing are also very important. In every day's practice the orientation is Mini-Mental Test (MMSE). Tanks to this test it is possible to get basic data about patients in 10 minutes. The test contains few easy questions to check time and a space orientations, remembering of basic terms, the ability of basic mathematical operations, writing, riding, and overstrike of little complex geometrical shapes. Healthy person can solve this test with maximum score (30 points). Patients with the score less than 25 points mostly have mild dementia. Those with the score less of than 10 points are in advances phase of illness.
Alzheimer disease can't be prevented but it can be prolonged by keeping our memory in shape. So, read as much as you can, solve crosswords, learn new things and new skills. Because with nursing the vitamins, sedatives and hypnotics are the only methods for treating the disease. ■
For the last few decades the object of many discussions is one specific form of discrete cognitive disruption called "mild cognitive disruption" (MCI). Mild cognitive impairment is a condition in which a person has problems with memory, language, or another mental function severe enough to be noticeable to other people and to show up on tests, but not serious enough to interfere with a daily life.
As illnesses progresses the patient's talking and writing become slower because of impossibility of finding the proper word. Vocabulary becomes small and with a time the patient starts to repeat words automatically in a senseless row. Changing of manners and character appear, the patient become scanty and stubborn. She also has problems with calculation, troubles with orientation and she can't follow the direction how to arrive to a destination. When illness progress patient forgets how to use every day's house things (spoon, soap, keys). In the latest phase of the disease a picking motion appears. Flow of the disease is slow and chronic. An average duration of the disease is from 4 to 5 years or longer. 
Neuropsychological testing are also very important. In every day's practice the orientation is Mini-Mental Test (MMSE). Tanks to this test it is possible to get basic data about patients in 10 minutes. The test contains few easy questions to check time and a space orientations, remembering of basic terms, the ability of basic mathematical operations, writing, riding, and overstrike of little complex geometrical shapes. Healthy person can solve this test with maximum score (30 points). Patients with the score less than 25 points mostly have mild dementia. Those with the score less of than 10 points are in advances phase of illness. 
Alzheimer disease can't be prevented but it can be prolonged by keeping our memory in shape. So, read as much as you can, solve crosswords, learn new things and new skills. Because with nursing the vitamins, sedatives and hypnotics are the only methods for treating the disease. ■