Abstract
Dementia is a progressive disorder associated with neuronal loss, cognitive impairment and different levels of synaptic damage. These changes are not only complex but also very dynamic as aging progresses. Dementia is irreversible when caused by disease or injury but may be reversible when caused by drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances or depression. There are over 50 causes of dementia such as vascular dementia (VD), alcohol-related dementia, Huntington's disease (HD), Lewy body dementia (LDB), Parkinson's disease, Pick's disease, multisystem atrophy and motor neuron disease. The most common type which accounts for 50 to 70 percent of all people with dementia is Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by slow, progressive memory loss due to gradual loss of brain cells (neurons). This disorder affects intellectual functions such as language, cognition, attention, visuospatial perception and judgment. The incidence of AD increases with age. This disorder affects about 3% of 65 to 74 year-olds, 19% of 75 to 85 year-olds and 47% of 85 and above. The indicative symptoms rarely appear before the age of 50. So far, not one single factor has been identified to account for AD directly. It is believed that AD results from one or a combination of age, genetic factors, environmental factors and other physiological changes i.e., inflammation. This review discusses the Pathology and Management of Alzheimer's disease.