Overview
Alzheimer's disease involves the buildup of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in the brain, with changes beginning years before symptoms appear. It typically affects recent memory first.
Common symptoms
- Difficulty remembering recent events and conversations
- Repeating questions
- Misplacing items and difficulty retracing steps
- Word-finding difficulty
- Disorientation to time and place
- Later: difficulty with dressing, bathing, and eating
How it progresses
Progression is typically gradual over several years, moving from mild memory changes to needing help with daily activities and eventually full-time care.
How it is diagnosed
History, cognitive testing, exam, blood work, and MRI. Biomarker testing — amyloid PET, spinal fluid, or blood-based p-tau — can confirm Alzheimer's pathology when the result would change decisions.
Treatment
Cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine can help symptoms. Amyloid-targeting therapies such as Leqembi and Kisunla may be options in early-stage disease for carefully selected patients with monitoring. Treatment requires individualized evaluation.
What families should know
- Early diagnosis widens treatment and planning options
- Routine, simplification, and cues help more than correction
- Driving and finances usually need review earlier than expected
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is biomarker testing appropriate for us?
- Am I a candidate for disease-modifying therapy?
- What symptoms should trigger a call to you?
Related resources
Medically reviewed. Last reviewed August 2026. This page is educational information, not individualized medical advice.