Alzheimer’s Disease: Pathogenesis and Clinical Findings Risk factor for Late Onset Alzheimer's (99% of cases): - Increasing age - Apolipoprotein E4 allele Risk factors for Early Onset Alzheimer's (1% of cases): - Amyloid precursor protein mutations - Presenilin 1 and 2 gene mutations - Down syndrome (amyloid precursor protein on chromosome 21) Signs / Symptoms / Complications: • Deficit in episodic and semantic memory • Aphasia, word-finding difficulties and paraphrasic errors • Loss of orientation to time and place • Executive planning dysfunction: visuospatial abnormalities, anosognosia • Inattention and lack of concentration • Motor dysfunction: myoclonic seizure, primitive reflexes, incontinence, apraxia • Neuropsychiatric: delusions, apathy, irritability, aggression #AlzheimersDisease #Dementia #pathophysiology #geriatrics #diagnosis #signs #symptoms
