A progressive degenerative disease of the brain most common in individuals over the age of 60 with symptoms that include loss of short-term memory, inability to concentrate, and changes in social skills and personality is called

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AD is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain that produces a typical profile of lost mental and physical functioning. It is the most common cause of deterioration in intellectual capacity, or dementia. It is most common in people older than 65, and its incidence increases in people older than 80. The onset of AD is gradual and insidious, with early signs including loss of short-term memory, inability to concentrate, and incapacity to learn new information, impairment of reasoning, and subtle changes in personality. Progression of symptoms corresponds with stages ranging from very mild decline (patients note memory lapses) to severe decline (patients frequently lose their capacity for recognizable speech, lose ability to walk without assistance or sit without support). Staging provides useful frames of reference for making future plans of care. As its course continues, communication skills decline, and the patient struggles to find the right words, uses meaningless words, or interjects nonsensical phrases. Over a span of 5-10 years, there is profound deterioration of intellectual and physical ability. The patient becomes increasingly dependent on a caretaker. The response to stimulation by the outside world diminishes, and the patient seems emotionally detached. The patient may exhibit restlessness, sleep disturbances, disorientation, hostility, or combativeness. The patient is eventually bedridden and ultimately dies of undercurrent infection or other complications.

A Progressive Degenerative Disease of the Brain Most Common in Individuals