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Karsen Quillen

March 25, 2022

Professor Leonard

ENG.1201.501

Alzheimers Memory Loss vs. Normal Memory Loss

Did you know that about 6.2 million people of all ages in the United States have

Alzheimer's disease (Texas Department of State Health Services, Alzheimer's Disease Program)?

My father is one of these 6.2 million people. He was diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's

last July and our lives have been flipped upside down since that day. Alzheimer’s disease is a

cruel disease that affects the brain, causing daily life to become difficult for the patient. When

someone is growing older, they tend to have some memory loss, but it is normal. Alzheimer’s

memory loss has a greater effect on the health and wellness of the body by affecting your daily

life, ability to complete daily tasks, and your eyesight compared to normal memory loss from

aging.

“Alzheimers is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and,

eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks'' (NIA Scientists). Alzheimer's disease is a

type of dementia and has no cure and “the seventh leading cause of death in the United States''

(NIA Scientists). The disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. “In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer had

heard of a female patient, who had noticeable changes in her brian tissue. The woman later on

died of an usual mental illness. According to the NIA Scientists, this bowman had symptoms of

memory loss, speech problems, and erratic behavior. These now are all known symptoms in

Alzheimer's disease. The NIA Scientists also state that, “after she had passed, Dr. Alzheimer

began examining her brian. In this examination he found unusual clumps, called amyloid plaques
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and tangles of fiber bundles, called neurofibrillary.” These plaques and tangles are now

considered some of the main appearances when diagnosing Alzheimer's diagnosis today. The

disease can also cause disconnection between brain neurons. These brain neurons transmit

messages from the brain to the muscles and organs in the body (NIA Scientists). This means that

although the disease affects the brain directly, the disconnection of these neurons causes the rest

of the body to be a victim as well. The rate at how quickly this disease progresses varies from

patient to patient, but the average life expectancy after diagnosis typically is 3-11 years, although

some people have survived 20 years or more after diagnosis.” (Mayo Clinic Staff). The life

expectancy is dependent on the severity of the case and improper care can shorten the life of the

patient. This unknown life expectancy can make the disease that much more heartbreaking,

unknown of how much longer the patient has left to live.

Today doctors are still experimenting and trying to learn everything they can on this

disease. They have discovered that “symptoms may not begin to show until a decade after

changes in the brain occur” (NIA Scientists). Scientists are making leaps in understanding this

disease, but still have so much to learn. As of now, scientists do not have a full understanding on

what exactly causes Alzheimer's disease in most people'' (NIA Scientists). The NIA Scientists

state in their article, that scientists believe that “a genetic mutation may be responsible for early-

onset Alzheimer’s, but a complex series of brain changes may be the cause for late-onset

Alzheimer’s.” As this disease progresses, the patient will fall into the stages of Alzheimer's and

will be limited on what they are able to do on their own. In these stages, their behavior, language,

and their memory are all affected differently. Today there are many clinical trials and

medications that can be used in order to slow down the progression of the disease.
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Unlike normal memory loss that forms with age, Alzheimer’s disease has many different

types and does not affect every person the same.The disease can be classified based on severity,

inflammatory responses, and the on set or trigger type. First, the severity of the disease can be

classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Mild Alzheimer’s is the beginning stages of the disease.

This stage largely affects your cognitive impairments. This in turn causes difficulties in

remembering daily routines such as tasks at work, shutting doors, and remembering to brush

your teeth. (Patel). In the article by Patel, he states that since this is the beginning and the

“symptoms are not that serious and patients are functional but have some difficulty.” The next

would be moderate Alzheimer’s. In this stage the symptoms are stronger and the confusion can

worsen, leading the patient to become more dependent on others (Patel). At this point the patient

is not able to perform standard tasks (Patel). The last stage of the severity is severe Alzheimer’s.

According to Patel, the plaques and tangles are growing, which is killing off the brain cell. These

dying brain cells result in shrinkage of brain tissue. Once a patient reaches this stage they are

normally bedridden and it becomes difficult to communicate with them. This is when the patient

is completely dependent on a caregiver for their daily needs. The second classification is based

on an inflammatory response. The first subtype in this is the inflammatory. Patel states that, “in

addition behavioral and cognitive symptoms, high levels of C-reactive protein in response to

inflammation and inflammatory classification exhibits high serum albumin to globulin ratio.”

The next subtype is non-inflammatory. “This subtype is exactly like sounds, there are no

inflammatory biomarkers, but it does have other metabolic abnormalities” (Patel). The two

subtypes, inflammatory and non-inflammatory, are exactly as they sound. The third and final

subtype in this is cortical. Patel states that, “deficiency of zinc throughout various regions of the

brain is the cortical subtype.” In the cortical subtype there are no inflammatory responses, but it
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does have some abnormalities that lead to Alzhiemer’s disease (Patel). The third classification

type is based on the onset type. There are two subtypes in this, early-onset and late-onset. When

people 65 years of age and lower are affected by Alzheimers, this is called Early-onset

Alzheimer's (Patel). This type is very rare, “out of 100 Alzheimer's patients, only 5 will have this

type'' (Patel). The most common type to affect the patients is late-onset Alzhiemer’s. This type

affects people 65 years or older (Patel). In late-onset Alzheimer’s there is a subcategory called

familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) (Patel). “Familial Alzheimer’s disease is very rare, at only 1

out of 100 cases being this type. The diagnosis can only come when the specific genotypic

pattern of illness is characterized by the family members'' (Patel). As you can tell, this disease

can be difficult to diagnose because of all the types, and that is what makes it all the more

difficult and heart breaking.

Alzheimer's disease does not have a clinical way of diagnosis, but they do perform

numerous different tests. Since there is no specific way to diagnose, there is about a 90%

accuracy with all diagnoses. Doctors perform tests such as an MRI or CT, physical evaluations,

full history over your health, and neurological and mental status assessments (Texas Department

of State Health Services, Alzheimer's Disease Program). From dealing with my dad and having

to drive him to doctors appointments and testing, it is a long process. Tests do not always come

back quickly, and some may even lead the doctors away from Alzheimer's diagnosis, only for it

to be the final diagnosis in the long run. According to the “Texas Department of State Health

Services, Alzheimer's Disease Program,” the disease has no treatment at this current time, but

they do have some medications that are believed to slow the progression of the disease. Patel

states that, “having an early detection can be crucial in preventing or slowing the progression.” It

is important for “family members and caregivers to learn ways to identify triggers for certain
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behaviors and methods to manage them” (Texas Department of State Health Services,

Alzheimer's Disease Program). Knowing these triggers cannot only help the patient stay calm,

but can make it easier on the caregiver. If the triggers are known, the people who are around the

patient can be careful to stay clear of any of the possible triggers. Keeping a notebook can make

things easier to keep track of to ensure none are forgotten.

Alzheimers not only affects your memory, but also the way you complete daily tasks. A

few symptoms of Alzheimers include: anxiety and agitation, confusion, difficulties with daily

activities (eating and bathing), difficulty recognizing friends and family, difficulty using simple

things (for example a pencil), loss of appetite, problems finding or speaking the right words,

wandering and pacing, loss of bladder and bowel control, loss of speech, dependence on a

caregiver, and many more symptoms (Texas Department of State Health Services, Alzheimer's

Disease Program). As previously listed, holding a pencil can become difficult when someone has

Alzheimers, this is a challenge that my father already faces. When it comes to birthdays or

holidays, my mom signs his name on all the cards because he is unable to do so. Many people

with Alzheimers rely solely on a caregiver for their daily tasks. Alzheimer's patients will often

forget to eat or how to shower and if it weren’t for a caregiver, they would never do either of

these things.

Having some memory issues every once in a while as you age is normal. It is important to

keep in mind that age-related memory loss and dementia/alzhiemers are not the same thing

(Smith, Melinda, et al.). Normal memory loss from aging and memory loss from Alzheimer’s are

different, but do have a few of the same symptoms. Some symptoms of normal memory loss may

be: “not getting lost in a familiar area, but pausing to remember directions, the ability to make

decisions is the same, and having no trouble holding a conversation, but occasionally having
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difficulty finding the right word” (Smith, Melinda, et al.). “Many mental abilities are unaffected

by normal aging. A few of these things may include: the ability to do daily tasks, the wisdom and

knowledge you’ve learned from growing into your old age, your common sense, and your ability

to converse with others” (Smith, Melinda, et al.). All of those things are unable to be done or are

lost when you have Alzheimer's disease. Normal aging memory loss has some of the same

symptoms in Alzheimers and may cause it to be difficult to diagnose at times, but doctors look

for key symptoms that occur only in Alzheimers or may be more drastic and noticeable to help

them differentiate and come to the correct diagnosis.

Alzheimer's disease can lead to trouble forming words or sentences or not speaking.

When people of any age are not socializing properly, it greatly affects them. Someone who is

diagnosed with Alzheimers may “frequently forget words, misuse words, or repeat phrases and

stories in the same conversation” (Smith, Melinda, et al.). When the person cannot find the right

words, this leads to an inability to have conversations. The person could get agitated that they

cannot think of the right words or remember the details in their story, and give up on it

completely. The person may begin to tell a story and forget what they are saying or talking about

in the middle of the story. This same thing may occur when having a conversation. If they are not

speaking on a regular basis, they may eventually forget how to speak and you will be unable to

talk with them anymore. Not having this verbal communication can make things much more

difficult on the caregiver, so it is important to encourage the Alzheimer’s patient to continue

talking, even when they are struggling.

It is normal for people who are aging to sometimes forget what words to use (NIH).

These people may forget a word or two, but can eventually think of the word and continue their

conversation. This is an issue that occurs from time to time and does not greatly affect them. The
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article by Smith, Melinda, et al., states that this person may “have no trouble holding a

conversation, but occasionally have difficulty finding the right word” The person may become

agitated that they cannot think of the word, but does affect their conversation. Elderly people

who experience this normal memory loss, may speak slowly or struggle with words, but they are

still able to communicate. Speaking slowly makes it a little difficult or boring for people to

listen, but the person has no issue with their communication skills, unlike someone with

Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease doesn't just affect the brian, but can also affect your vision.

Alzheimers can cause “decreased peripheral vision, loss of depth perception, poor color

discrimination, and problems with object recognition” (“Alzheimer's & Eye Sight: Is There a

Connection?”). Having these issues with your vision can be very detrimental. For example, if

you are driving and you depth perception is not as good as it normally is, you make think the

little boy picking up a ball is still 50 feet in front of you, but that little boy could actually only be

about 15 feet away, causing you to hit him because you didn't slow down in time. Another

example maybe, that if someone with Alzheimers is having soje color discrimination issues, as

well as memoery issues, they may not realize a lght is red on a stoplight. Although the lights are

in the same order on stoplights, they may ot remember the order and think green is at the top,

when it’s actually red. This person may then drive on a red light and wreck. This not only puts

their life in danger, but also anyone else who is on the road with them. For these reasons, and

several others, most Alzheimer's patients do not drive. Not having the ability to drive can make it

challenging to get to work (if they’re still able), get to appointments, or get to the grocery stores.

Vision issues in Alzheimers can affect your ability to walk down stairs or follow behind

someone who is leading the way in front of you. Overall, it takes away a freedom that they have
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had and it is a very difficult concept for them to understand why they cannot drive anymore or

struggle to walk downstairs, a task that they’ve done for nearly their entire life.

Normal aging does not cause such detrimental issues in eyesight. There are still some

problems that occur, but they are not as problematic when it comes to driving. The first issue is

presbyopia. This makes it difficult to see close objects or small print (Cleveland Clinic). This is

why you see your grandparents, or even parents, hold their phone further away or wear bifocals.

The next thing is floaters and flashers. These floaters are just tiny spots or specks that are

floating across the field of vision (Cleveland Clinic). These two things can be solved with glasses

and does not affect their ability to drive. Older patients will commonly have cataracts. This

causes “blurred vision, glare, monocular diplopia” (Quillen). Elderly people also may have

glaucoma. A few symptoms of this include: “visual field loss and blurred vision” (Quillen). It is

also common for people to develop diabetes as they get older, which can cause diabetic

retinotherapy. Diabetic retinotherapy can result in “visual field loss, floaters, blurred vision, and

poor night vision” (Quillen). Although all of these affect your vision, it is not guaranteed that

you would have symptoms with these diseases. As elderly people may end up with one of these

diseases, or several of them, this doesn’t mean they lose their driving abilities like Alzheimer

patients do.

Alzheimers memory loss affects not only the person who was diagnosed with it, but it

also affects the family members. The family members have to take on the responsibility and

decision making for their loved one after the diagnosis. This puts a lot of stress and tension on

the family. The disease attacks the brain, leaving the patient with little to no memory. This is

arguably what makes it so difficult on the family. Eventually, the patient will no longer

recognize their family members, which is terrible for the family because they know what’s
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happening, whereas the patient does not. The family members are watching their loved ones

disappear in front of their eyes. They see this person they’ve known their whole life, who has

been able to do anything or build anything that has been placed in front of them, and can no

longer do some of the easiest tasks in life, such as write their name or unlock their front door.

Many family members become primary caregivers. In the article “The Effects Alzheimer's

Disease Has on Family Members and Caregivers” it states that, “some studies have shown that

the primary caregiver may become physically and emotionally overburdened. They also may

experience high rates of illness, social isolation, and emotional distress (for example,

depression). Sadly, the care you give for your loved one can cause health issues for you. This is

why many people may recommend putting an Alzheimer's patient into a homecare facility. As

tough as it may be, putting them in a homecare facility could help relieve the stress on you at the

moment. This is something that is not considered as much with elderly people. According to

Cemental, homecare is a better option for Alzheimer’s patients because it causes much less of a

change in their life, thus not upsetting the patient or disrupting their routine. Most people once

they become elderly will move into a nursing home for care, friendship as their spouse or friends

are passing away, or to give them activities to do, such as playing BINGO.

Some people believe that normal memory aging is just as bad, if not worse than

Alzheimer's disease and the memory loss that comes with it. People may claim this because the

two things have similar symptoms, but when you look closely, Alzheimer's symptoms are much

more drastic. People say that a normal part of aging is to have some memory loss (Alzheimer

Society of Canada). According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, “only about 40% of us will

experience some sort of memory loss after we turn 65 years old. The chances of this memory

loss being Dementia or Alzheimeris is very low. Alzheimer’s is not a very likely thing to occur,
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so many people don’t feel the need to worry or think about it. Some people who do not know, or

understand, the severity of the disease may assume people are over exaggerating their symptoms.

This is something that can be easy to assume. You never know how quickly the disease is

progressing, so the patient could be “lazy” and allow you to do things for them. This could lead

people to believe that the disease is not as severe and that normal memory aging is worse than

Alzheimer’s.

My father is a part of the 6.2 million Americans who are diagnosed with Alzheimers. He

faces almost all of these issues daily. Alzheimers is now part of my family's everyday lives. It

hasn’t been a year since his diagnosis, but I have learned more about this disease than I ever

thought I would need to know. They always say you never think it would happen to you until it

does and that's extremely true. This disease is cruel to not only the person diagnosed, but

arguably more cruel to the family members. The disease attacks the brain causing patients to

remember little to absolutely nothing. Alzheimers memory loss has a greater effect on the health

and wellness of the body by affecting your daily life, ability to complete daily tasks, and eyesight

compared to normal memory loss from aging. Scientists are continuing their research daily in

hopes that we can one day find a cure to end this horrible disease.
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Works Cited

Alzheimer Society of Canada. “The Differences between Normal Aging and Dementia.”

Alzheimer Society of Canada, https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/do-i-have-

dementia/differences-between-normal-aging-dementia.

“Alzheimer's & Eye Sight: Is There a Connection?” Kadrmas Eye Care New England, 5 June

2018, http://www.kadrmaseyecare.com/eye-health--care-blog/alzheimers-eye-sight-is-

there-a-connection-alzheimers-brain-awareness-month.

Cemental, Ruby. “Home Care vs. Nursing Home.” Caring Senior Service, Caring Senior Service,

29 Mar. 2022, https://www.caringseniorservice.com/blog/home-care-vs-nursing-home.

Cleveland Clinic. “Aging Eyes: Vision Changes & Common Problems.” Cleveland Clinic, 23

Nov. 2020, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/8567-common-age-related-eye-

problems.

Mayo Clinic Staff. “Alzheimer's Stages: How the Disease Progresses.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo

Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 Apr. 2021,

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/in-depth/alzheimers-

stages/art-20048448.

NIA Scientists. “Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet.” National Institute on Aging, U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services, 8 July 2021, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-

disease-fact-sheet.
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NIH. “Memory, Forgetfulness, and Aging: What's Normal and What's Not?” National Institute

on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 21 Oct. 2020,

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/memory-forgetfulness-and-aging-whats-normal-and-

whats-not.

Patel, HH. “Types of Alzheimer's Disease.” News, 9 Sept. 2019,

https://www.news-medical.net/health/Types-of-Alzheimers-Disease.aspx.

Quillen, David A. “Common Causes of Vision Loss in Elderly Patients.” American Family

Physician, 1 July 1999, https://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0701/p99.html.

Smith, Melinda, et al. “Age-Related Memory Loss.” HelpGuide.org, 21 Feb. 2022,

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia-aging/age-related-memory-

loss.htm.

Texas Department of State Health Services, Alzheimer's Disease Program. “What Is Alzheimer's

Disease? Questions and Answers.” Texas Department of State Health Services, 13 Apr.

2021, https://dshs.texas.gov/alzheimers/qanda.shtm.

“The Effects Alzheimer's Disease Has on Family Members and Caregivers.” Unicity Healthcare,

17 Aug. 2018, https://www.unicityhealthcare.com/effects-alzheimers-disease-family-

members-caregivers/.
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