What Are the Levels of Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and fatal brain condition and is the most common form of dementia. More than 5 million people are living with Alzheimer's in the United States, and a new case appears every 70 seconds. There is no cure for Alzheimer's and it's early symptoms are difficult to detect due to their subtlety. There are seven levels or stages to the progression of Alzheimer's disease, based on common patterns of symptoms.
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Stage 1: No Impairment
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In stage 1 there is no evidence of memory problems and cognitive and functional abilities are still apparent. The patient still recalls names, locations and other well-known things, and has no problems following conversations. There are no unexplained mood or personality changes. A medical interview by a health care professional would reveal no perceivable impairments.
Stage 2: Minimal Impairment
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Half of the population over age 65 will begin to notice problems in memory and cognitive function. They have problems remembering where they placed things or finding the proper words while talking. This stage is also referred to as normal forgetfulness as it's difficult to differentiate between early Alzheimer's disease and the normal effects of aging. These symptoms will usually be apparent only to those experiencing them and not to family or friends.
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Stage 3: Mild Cognitive Decline
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The subtle problems evident to only the patient in stage 2 are becoming more apparent to friends and family. Symptoms include problems with planning and organization, misplacing objects and forgetting recent events. These are starting to affect everyday living and the patient may try to hide the problems. A medical interview may reveal the symptoms. This stage lasts from two to seven years.
Stage 4: Mild Alzheimer's
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An accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is possible in stage 4. Deficiencies are clearly detectable during an in-depth medical interview. Symptoms include decreased knowledge of recent events and increasing forgetfulness. The patient still knows friends and family but has difficulty carrying out sequential tasks such as cooking. These increasing impairments often make the patient become defensive and withdraw from social situations. This stage lasts about two years.
Stage 5: Moderate Alzheimer's
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Stage 5 individuals experience a more severe decline in functionality and require assistance in everyday living. They cannot remember personal memory details or contact information, and are often confused about their location or the day of the week. The ability to dress and feed themselves remains but might require supervision. They may retain knowledge of themselves and their families but are unclear on details. This stage usually lasts about 1.5 years.
Stage 6: Moderately Severe Alzheimer's
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At stage 6, the ability to perform basic daily tasks deteriorates. Dressing and bathing require assistance. Personality changes may emerge as memory difficulties continue to worsen. They need help performing basic tasks. They cannot remember the names of their close family members but recognize them as familiar. Later in this stage they require care and supervision but are still able to respond to and communicate nonverbally. This stage lasts approximately 2.5 years.
Stage 7: Severe Alzheimer's
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At this last stage, the patient has deteriorated to non-communicative. He cannot speak or understand language, and often needs help eating and with toilet duties. The patient cannot respond to his environment and is unable to control body movement. He requires round-the-clock care as his body begins to shut down, often with his muscles growing rigid. Duration of this stage depends upon the quality of care, but average length is one to 2.5 years.
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