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Alzheimer's:
Glossary

Day Centre
Day Hospital
Definite Alzheimer
Dementia
Dementia with Lewy bodies

Diagnosis
Diagnostic Unit
DNA
Drug

Day Centre

The day center is a social service that provides assistance to people with cognitive impairment or dementia in daytime . The interdisciplinary approach is able to meet the needs of the individual and their family in early and moderate stages of the disease.

Day Hospital

The Day Hospital is a healthcare service that provides assistance for people in daytime , primarily under 65 years with cognitive impairment or dementia. The patient and his family benefit from a comprehensive therapeutic care. The interdisciplinary approach meets the needs of the individual and their family in the early and moderate stages of the disease.

Definite Alzheimer

The safe and definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can only be done by looking at the brain directly. Therefore, the diagnosis of Alzheimer safe can only postmortem , by autopsy. If this test shows the marks of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles it is an irrefutable proof of this type of dementia.

Dementia

Dementia is a syndrome with various symptoms related to loss of cognitive functions such as memory or language . There are many types of dementia, but the most common is Alzheimer ‘s disease . There are other disorders that may be associated with dementia , such as depression and delusions or other behavioral disorders. This is the reason why sometimes the diagnosis is complicated.

Dementia with Lewy bodies

It has symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer’s disease, but with similarities to Parkinson’s disease , such as stiffness , tremors and slow down of the movements. A feature of this dementia diagnosis is that the patient also presents delusions and / or hallucinations very vivid and reasoned. This neurodegenerative disease is the second most common type of dementia in elderly patients and can sometimes manifest in conjunction with Alzheimer’s disease .

Diagnosis

Determining a disease requires a diagnosis , which refers to a set of tests to identify clinical pathology . In the case of neurodegenerative diseases there are several tests which lead to the diagnosis of the different types of dementia . Early diagnosis facilitates early therapeutic intervention , allowing time for patients and family to make forecasts for the future, face a long and costly process of face to bring dignity and quality of life around the family.

Diagnostic Unit

The diagnostic unit is a service for the diagnosis and monitoring of people with cognitive impairment and/or dementia. The diagnosis is obtained through an interdisciplinary process that includes five visits for comprehensive assessment and the design of a proposal of intervention that addresses the global needs of the person.

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the genetic material contained in the cells with the instructions on the form and function of living things. DNA is organized into chromosomes, which contain the genetic information of individuals and are inherited from parents to children.

Drug

Chemical that is used in the treatment of disease. In the case of Alzheimer’s disease , there are several drugs currently in clinical trials in its various developmental stages . The current drugs target is slow the progression of the disease.

Alzheimer's: Glossary

Alzheimer's:
Glossary