BRAIN

Treatments for Alzheimer's disease, the options available to patients

Alzheimer's disease affects 900,000 people in France. And of these, two out of three sufferers are women. This disease is progressive, and depending on each case, this evolution can take several years. Alzheimer's disease has a considerable influence on the patient's quality of life, particularly on his or her autonomy and independence. Unfortunately, there is no complete cure for this disease. In any case, there are various treatment options for Alzheimer's disease to alleviate the suffering of patients.

Alzheimer's disease: definition

Alzheimer's disease is first and foremost a very complex neurodegenerative pathology. It causes dysfunctions in the connections between neurons. There is thus a neuronal loss which essentially affects the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the seat of memory. This is the reason why Alzheimer's disease is also called memory disease. This pathology often strikes the elderly, but it can also, in some cases, occur earlier.

The main symptoms and manifestation of the disease

Patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease are subject to a memory disorder that evolves over time and has an increasing impact on their daily life. But these difficulties do not occur overnight. Indeed, the disease can take years to progress, which often delays its diagnosis. And in addition to memory loss, it also manifests itself through a variety of other symptoms.

Cognitive disorders

It should be noted that the intensity of cognitive impairment caused by Alzheimer's disease varies according to the subject. Its most well-known symptom is memory loss. But at the  same time, the patient also has difficulty memorizing new information. This is why he or she will tend to repeat questions and not remember the person he or she has just met. Likewise,  the patient will have difficulty remembering where he or she has stored this or that object. Disorientation is also a symptom of cognitive problems that affect the patient. For example, they may spend hours wandering around their neighbourhood without remembering where they live. In addition, this type of disorder is often accompanied by the patient's difficulty in locating where he or she is in time. They may use memory aids to help them remember things that are happening around them.

In addition to memory loss, cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease also includes impairments in language and abstract reasoning. There is a partial or total loss of the ability to communicate. Also, the patient will have difficulty identifying certain objects or faces, even those of loved ones.

Emotional and emotional symptoms

This category of symptoms includes apathy, irritability, anxiety, depression and euphoria. In short, the patient's mood can change from laughter to tears or anger in a matter of moments.

Behavioural disorders

This category includes agitation, aggression, wandering, sleep disturbances, appetite disturbances and disinhibition. Sometimes the Alzheimer patient may also experience hallucinations. This distorts their perception of reality. These hallucinations  may  be auditory, visual or sensory.

Treatments for Alzheimer's disease

Although no patient has been completely cured of Alzheimer's disease, there are several types of treatments that can help alleviate the symptoms of the disease. However, this does not mean that the disease has stopped progressing. In any case, research in this field is constantly progressing.

Drug treatments

There are currently four drugs on the market to treat Alzheimer's disease. As mentioned above, these drugs cannot affect the progression of the disease. They are Donepezil, Galantamine, Rivastigmine and Memantine. Memantine protects receptors from neurotoxicity and prevents the destruction of the neuron. The first three drugs are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors. Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme that destroys the neurotransmitter. In addition to preventing the neurotransmitter from being broken down, the first three drugs also increase the amount of neurotransmitter at the synapse.

Although these four drugs have proven effects on Alzheimer's symptoms, including short- term cognition, they can have some undesirable side effects. For example, digestive problems, insomnia, fatigue, or cardiovascular problems may require discontinuation of treatment.

Non-medicinal therapies

Apart from drug treatments, other therapies can also be used to treat Alzheimer's disease. These therapies are necessary and fully effective in improving the patient's living conditions. These include physiotherapy, speech therapy, osteopathy, psychomotor therapy and psychological care. These therapies aim to help the patient to stimulate his motor and cognitive abilities. They also help to relieve and alleviate the patient's stress, mood swings and anxiety.

Moreover, whatever treatment doctors prescribe for a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease, those around them will always have an important role to play.