ABSTRACT

In America, approximately four million people have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD): with increases in life expectancy and, therefore, a larger aging population this number is expected to reach fourteen million in the next fifty years(1). The clinical consequences of this disease can devastate patients and their families. Modern medicine cannot reverse or even halt the progression of this dehumanizing illness. However, our understanding of Alzheimer's disease has grown enormously since Alois Alzheimer, the founder of the Munich school of neurophatology (2) first described the changes in the cerebral cortex that occur in the type of presenile dementia (3) that now bears his name. This progress in diagnosis, treatment and overall management gives patients more hope and a better prognosis which helps them and their loved ones plan for the future. This article will focus on early diagnosis, genetics, pharmacotherapy and the team approach to management all of which are aimed at maximizing function for the Alzheimer's patient.