Cognitive Rehabilitation To Early Alzheimer’s disease

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Dr Vijay Janagama, Alzheimers is no more an old
mans disease. Case reports from different parts
of the country indicate a decreasing onset of
age. In spite of being home to more than 4
million patients, Alzheimers in India it is
still not always formally diagnosed nor treated.
Most of us consider loss of memory as a natural
sign of ageing and dont associate it with a
probable degenerative disorder. But what if the
first signs of dementia start showing at a much
younger age? Missing these signs can prove fatal
since timely initiation of rehabilitation
measures like cognitive therapy is proven to
reverse or slow the impact of the disease. A
proper awareness of the warning signs of the
disease, necessary tests to confirm diagnosis
and appropriate interventions like Cognitive
Rehabilitation to reverse the early signs if
confirmed of the disease can help in tackling
Alzheimers more efficiently. Causes of
Alzheimers While concrete evidences are
scarce to explain the complete reasons behind
early onset of Alzheimers disease, people with
a parent or grandparent who also developed the
disease early were found to have increased risks.
Therefore, those with a family history of the
disease are recommended to undergo a genetic
counseling for an early diagnosis. Diagnosing
Alzheimers In Alzheimers disease, visible
changes show in the body almost a decade after
the actual damage to the brain has happened.
While these symptoms may vary from person to
person, recurrence of some commonly found signs
can signal the early incidence of the disease.
Once signs of mental decline are noticed in an
individual, academic protocols will suggest
him/her to undergo a series of
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cognitive tests, followed by testing the blood,
urine and spinal fluid. A CT and MRI scan will
confirm the incidence of Alzheimers and the
extent of the damage caused to the brain.
Treating Alzheimers disease Till date,
Alzheimers disease is classified as one among
the many incurable diseases. However, medical
circles have seen positive results on patients
who were introduced to the many available
treatment options like Cognitive Rehabilitation
at an early stage.
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• Cognitive Rehabilitation to Tackle Early
  Alzheimers disease
• Cognitive rehabilitation is the goal-oriented,
  personalized care plan designed for people with
  early stage Alzheimers disease to enhance their
  everyday functioning and independence.
  Evidence-based rehabilitation strategies are
  corroborated with cognition-focused intervention
  to reduce a patients disability and improve the
  overall wellbeing and coping abilities. A
  combination of cognitive simulation, cognitive
  training and daily activities support are offered
  to patients with early stage Alzheimers or
  dementia to reverse or slow the impact of the
  disorder. Rehab care programmes with best success
  rates stand out for their clinical brilliance
  (skilled and specialized professionals work on
  the programme), therapeutic innovation
  (customized programs like art therapy, aroma
  therapy, healing touch, music therapy etc are
  offered to enhance recovery) and smooth
  evolution (provides necessary support to improve
  coping skills for better adaptability to the
  environment).
• It will be worthwhile to know the following
  warning signs of Alzheimers disease,
  irrespective of age.
• Early Signs of Alzheimers disease
• Disrupted sleep is perhaps the only sign of the
  disease that surfaces much ahead of the
  development of other cognitive signs like memory
  loss. Research has shown Alzheimers plaques can
  disrupt sleep, so can interrupted sleep promote
  the development of the former. Those with sleep
  efficiency lower than 75 are five times more
  prone to have preclinical Alzheimers than the
  ones who sleep well.
• Forgetting the same piece of information in spite
  of repeatedly checking on it could be a warning
  sign of the disease. While it is common for most
  of us to forget names of people, important date
  etc, if you find it difficult to memorize the
  same facts despite all efforts, you shouldnt
  disregard this sign totally.

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3. Inability to perform an otherwise familiar
task is deemed to be another sign. For instance,
it is natural for someone to seek help while
cooking a new dish but if you have completely
forgotten making your favourite recipe, then it
isnt common.

1. Sudden vision problems like difficulty to
   identify colours, shapes and distance between
   objects could indicate neural dysfunction.
   Reduced blood capillaries in the back of the
   eye, generally detected through an eye scan, can
   be an early precursor of the disease.
2. If you see an otherwise outgoing person,
   withdrawing from social circles it is important
   to watch him closely. The inability to follow or
   join conversations can recede many to isolation
   from even their near and dear ones. Giving up on
   favourite hobbies or avoiding social gatherings
   are other indications.

6. Personality changes like anxiety, depression
and continuous mood swings are few other common
symptoms of the disease. If you notice one or
more of the above signs, it will be worthwhile to
bring it up to a primary care physicians
consideration. An accurate diagnosis of
Alzheimers disease helps in ruling out any
other potential issues and initiation of
pharmacological and non-pharmacological
treatments that are more effective in the early
stage of the disease. Unfortunately, the social
stigma around Alzheimers disease hampers early
diagnosis and treatment of the disease. A
degenerative neurological disorder is nothing to
be made fun or scared of. While it may take time
for many to develop social empathy towards those
affected with the disease, one must give
immediate attention to any warning signs of the
disease and seek proper medical advice.