Alzheimer disease: symptoms, causes, diagnosis, progression

Alzheimer disease overview and dementia prevalence

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia. It typically begins after age 65, with early symptoms often involving difficulty remembering recent events. As the disease advances, people may develop language problems, disorientation (including getting lost), mood and behavioral changes, and increasing loss of independence, eventually leading to death. Diagnosis is based on clinical history and cognitive testing, with medical imaging and blood tests used to rule out other causes; definitive confirmation requires post-mortem examination of characteristic brain changes (amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles).

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Early symptoms and common misattribution

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