Alzheimer's Disease

The team at Henry Ford Hospital specializes in a coordinated approach to caring for patients with Alzheimer’s disease. We offer the most advanced diagnostic testing and treatment options for patients suffering from this and other cognitive disorders. These tests include genetic tests and functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity.

What is Alzheimer’s disease?

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for the loss of mental functions such as thinking, memory, and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person's daily functioning.

Although dementia is far more common in people over 65 years of age population, it can occur in younger individuals as well. This is referred to as "early onset dementia" and occurs in up to 5 percent of people with the disease.

Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, meaning the dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. Because Alzheimer's is a complex disease that affects higher brain functions and learning, patients in the final stages of the disease have trouble performing the tasks that keep our bodies alive and functioning. In some cases, people suffering from the condition may need to eventually reside in a long-term care facility where they can receive 24/7 care.