Abilities
Level at which certain actions and activities can be carried out.
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter that appears to be involved in learning and memory. Acetylcholine is severely diminished in the brains of persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
Activities of daily living (ADLs)
Personal care activities necessary for everyday living, such as eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, and toileting. People with dementia may not be able to perform necessary functions without assistance. Professionals often assess a person’s ADLs to determine what type of care is needed.
AD7C test (AlzheimAlert Test)
The AD7C test (also called the AlzheimAlert test) marketed by the Nymox Corporation detects levels of a substance called neural thread protein in urine or cerebrospinal fluid. The Alzheimer's Association does not recommend use of this test either for diagnosing or "ruling out" Alzheimer's disease. Studies supporting the validity of the test have not been replicated by independent laboratories or conducted in an adequate number of individuals. At this time, there is no consensus among Alzheimer experts that this test is valid or useful, and its use is not a part of any recognized diagnostic guidelines developed by professional organizations. Because elevated levels of neural thread protein have been found not only in individuals with Alzheimer's but also in those with brain tumors, strokes, and other neurological disorders, higher than average levels cannot indicate or rule out Alzheimer's disease. There is still no single test for Alzheimer’s disease, and diagnosis is a multi-faceted process that must be administered and evaluated by a skilled health care professional.
Adult day services
Programs that provide participants with opportunities to interact with others, usually in a community center or facility. Staff lead various activities such as music programs and support groups. Transportation is often provided.
Advance directives
Written documents, completed and signed when a person is legally competent, that explain a person’s medical wishes in advance, allowing someone else to make treatment decisions on his or her behalf later in the disease process.
Adverse reaction
An unexpected effect of drug treatment that may range from trivial to serious or life-threatening, such as an allergic reaction.
Age-matched controls
See controls.
Agent
The individual – usually a trusted family member or friend – authorized by a power of attorney to make legal decisions for another individual. In scientific terms, “agent” sometimes refers to a drug as well.
Aggression
Hitting, pushing, or threatening behavior that commonly occurs when a caregiver attempts to help an individual with Alzheimer’s with daily activities, such as dressing. It is important to control such behavior because aggressive persons can cause injury to themselves and others.
Agitation
Vocal or motor behavior (screaming, shouting, complaining, moaning, cursing, pacing, fidgeting, wandering, etc.) that is disruptive, unsafe, or interferes with the delivery of care in a particular environment. An abnormal behavior is considered agitation only if it poses risk or discomfort to the individual with Alzheimer’s or his/her caregiver. Agitation can be a nonspecific symptom of one or more physical or psychological problems (e.g., headache, depression).
Allele
One of two or more alternative forms of a gene; for example, one allele of the gene for eye color codes for blue eyes, while another allele codes for brown eyes.
Alzheimer’s disease
A progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of function and death of nerve cells in several areas of the brain, leading to loss of mental functions such as memory and learning. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia.
Ambulation
The ability to walk and move about freely.
Amino acids
The basic building blocks of proteins. Genes contain the code fassembling protein of the 20 amino acids necessary for human growth and function.
Amyloid
A protein deposit associated with tissue degeneration; amyloid is found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s.
Amyloid plaque
Abnormal cluster of dead and dying nerve cells, other brain cells, and amyloid protein fragments. Amyloid plaques are one of the characteristic structural abnormalities found in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Upon autopsy, the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles is used to positively diagnose Alzheimer’s.
Amyloid precursor protein (APP)
A protein found in the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, spleen, and intestines. The normal function of APP in the body is unknown. In Alzheimer’s disease, APP is abnormally processed and converted to beta amyloid protein. Beta amyloid is the protein deposited in amyloid plaques.
Animal models
Normal animals modified mechanically, genetically or chemically, used to demonstrate all or part of the characteristics of a disease. With models, researchers can study the mechanisms of a disease and test therapies.
Antibodies
Specialized proteins produced by the cells of the immune system that counteract a specific foreign substance. The production of antibodies is the first line of defense in the body’s immune response.
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Drugs that reduce inflammation by modifying the body’s immune response.
Anxiety
A feeling of apprehension, fear, nervousness, or dread accompanied by restlessness or tension.
Apathy
Lack of interest, concern, or emotion.
Aphasia
Difficulty understanding the speech of others and/or expressing oneself verbally.
Apolipoprotein E
A protein whose main function is to transport cholesterol. The gene for this protein is on chromosome 19 and is referred to as APOE. There are three forms of APOE: e2, e3, and e4. APOE-e4 is associated with about 60 percent of late-onset Alzheimer’s cases and is considered a risk factor for the disease.
Apoptosis
Programmed cell death.
APP
See amyloid precursor protein.
Art therapy
A form of therapy that allows people with dementia opportunities to express their feelings creatively through art.
Assay
The evaluation or testing of a substance for toxicity, impurities, or other variables.
Assessment
An evaluation, usually performed by a physician, of a person’s mental, emotional, and social capabilities.
Assisted living facility
A residential care setting that combines housing, support services, and health care for people typically in the early or middle stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Atrophy
Shrinking of size; often used to describe the loss of brain mass seen in Alzheimer’s disease during autopsy.
Autonomy
A person’s ability to make independent choices.
Autopsy
Examination of a body organ and tissue after death. Autopsy is often performed (upon request) to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.
Axon
The arm of a nerve cell that normally transmits outgoing signals from one cell body to another. Each nerve cell has one axon, which can be relatively short in the brain but can be up to three feet long in other parts of the body.
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B
Behavioral symptoms
In Alzheimer’s disease, symptoms that relate to action or emotion, such as wandering, depression, anxiety, hostility and sleep disturbances.
Beneficiary
An individual named in a will who is designated to receive all or part of an estate upon the death of a will maker.
Beta amyloid protein
A specific type of amyloid normally found in humans and animals. In Alzheimer’s disease, beta amyloid is abnormally processed by nerve cells and becomes deposited in amyloid plaques in the brains of persons with the disease.
Binswanger’s disease
A type of dementia associated with stroke-related changes in the brain.
Biomarker
Used to indicate or measure a biological process (for instance, levels of a specific protein in blood or spinal fluid, genetic mutations or brain abnormalities observed in a PET scan or other imaging test). Detecting biomarkers specific to a disease can aid in the identification, diagnosis and treatment of affected individuals and people who may be at risk but do not yet exhibit symptoms.
Blood-brain barrier
The selective barrier that controls the entry of substances from the blood into the brain.
Brain
One of the two components of the central nervous system, the brain is the center of thought and emotion. It is responsible for the coordination and control of bodily activities, and the interpretation of information from the senses (sight, hearing, smell, etc.).
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C
Calcium
An element taken in through the diet that is essential for a variety of bodily functions, such as neurotransmission, muscle contraction and proper heart function. Imbalances of calcium can lead to many health problems and can cause nerve cell death.
Calcium channel blocker
A drug that blocks the entry of calcium into cells, thereby reducing activities that require calcium, such as neurotransmission. Calcium channel blockers are used primarily in the treatment of certain heart conditions but are being studied as potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
Caregiver
The primary person in charge of caring for an individual with Alzheimer’s disease, usually a family member or a designated health care professional.
Care planning
A written action plan containing strategies for delivering care that address an individual’s specific needs or problems.
Case management
A term used to describe formal services planned by care professionals.
Cell
The fundamental unit of all organisms; the smallest structural unit capable of independent functioning.
Cell body
In nerve cells, the central portion from which axons and dendrites sprout. The cell body controls the life-sustaining functions of a nerve cell.
Cell culture
Cells grown in a test tube or other laboratory device for experimental purposes.
Cell membrane
The outer boundary of the cell. The cell membrane helps control what substances enter or exit the cell.
Central nervous system (CNS)
One of the two major divisions of the nervous system. Composed of the brain and spinal cord, the CNS is the control network for the entire body.
Cerebral cortex
The outer layer of the brain, consisting of nerve cells and the pathways that connect them. The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain in which thought processes take place. In Alzheimer’s disease, nerve cells in the cerebral cortex degenerate and die.
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
The fluid that fills the areas surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Choline
A natural substance required by the body that is obtained from various foods, such as eggs; an essential component of acetylcholine.
Choline acetyltransferase (CAT)
An enzyme that controls the production of acetylcholine; appears to be depleted in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease.
Cholinergic system
The system of nerve cells that uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter and is damaged in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s.
Cholinesterase
An enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, into active parts that can be recycled.
Chromosome
An H-shaped structure inside the cell nucleus made up of tightly coiled strands of genes. Each chromosome is numbered (in humans, 1-46). Genes on chromosome 1, 14, 19, and 21 are associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Clinical trials
Organized studies that test the value of various treatments, such as drugs or surgery, in human beings.
Coexisting illness
A medical condition that exists simultaneously with another, such as arthritis and dementia.
COGNIShunt
COGNIShunt was a device developed by Eunoe, Inc., as an experimental treatment for Alzheimer's disease. It was designed to drain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the protective fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, from the head into the abdomen. The theory was that one factor causing Alzheimer's disease might be accumulation of excess amounts of disease-related proteins in the CSF. Draining might encourage more frequent "refreshing" of the CSF and prevent the toxic accumulations. COGNIShunt did not show any benefit in clinical trials and Eunoe filed for dissolution in 2005.
Cognitive abilities
Mental abilities such as judgment, memory, learning, comprehension and reasoning.
Cognitive symptoms
In Alzheimer’s disease, the symptoms that relate to loss of thought processes, such as learning, comprehension, memory, reasoning and judgment.
Combativeness
Incidents of aggression.
Competence
A person’s ability to make informed choices.
Computed tomography (CT scan)
A type of imaging scan that shows the internal structure of a person’s brain. In diagnosing dementia, CT scans can reveal tumors and small strokes in the brain.
Conservator
In some states, the guardian who manages an individual’s assets.
Continuum of care
Care services available to assist individuals throughout the course of the disease.
Controls
A group of people or animals that does not receive a treatment or other intervention or that is not affected with the disease being studied. This group is used as a standard to compare any changes in a group that receives treatment or has the disease. In Alzheimer research patients are often compared with controls of the same age (age-matched) to rule out the effects of age on study results.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
A rare, ultimately fatal disorder of infectious or genetic origin that typically causes memory failure and behavioral changes. A recently identified form called “variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)” is the human disorder thought to be caused by eating meat from cattle affected by “mad cow disease” (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). VCJD tends to appear in much younger individuals than those affected by sporadic or inherited Creutzfeldt-Jakob.
CT scan
See computed tomography.
Cueing
The process of providing cues, prompts, hints and other meaningful information, direction, or instruction to aid a person who is experiencing memory difficulties.
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D
Deficits
Physical and/or cognitive skills or abilities that a person has lost, has difficulty with, or can no longer perform due to his or her dementia.
Delusion
A false idea typically originating from a misinterpretation but firmly believed and strongly maintained in spite of contradictory proof or evidence.
Dementia
The loss of intellectual functions (such as thinking, remembering, and reasoning) of sufficient severity to interfere with a person’s daily functioning. Dementia is not a disease itself but rather a group of symptoms that may accompany certain diseases or conditions. Symptoms may also include changes in personality, mood and behavior. Dementia is irreversible when caused by disease or injury but may be reversible when caused by drugs, alcohol, hormone or vitamin imbalances, or depression.
Dementia-capable
Skilled in working with people with dementia and their caregivers, knowledgeable about the kinds of services that may help them, and aware of which agencies and individuals provide such services.
Dementia-specific
Services that are provided specifically for people with dementia.
Dendrites
Branched extensions of the nerve cell body that receive signals from other nerve cells. Each nerve cell usually has many dendrites.
Diagnosis
The process by which a physician determines what disease a patient has by studying the patient’s symptoms and medical history and analyzing any tests performed (blood, urine, brain scans, etc.).
Disorientation
A cognitive disability in which the senses of time, direction and recognition become difficult to distinguish.
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
A chain of nucleotides (cytosine, guanine, adenine, or thymine) linked with ribose sugar molecules that form the basis of genetic material. Specific patterns of nucleotides represent particular genes.
Double-blind, placebo-controlled study
A research procedure in which neither researchers nor patients know who is receiving the experimental substance or treatment and who is receiving a placebo.
Down syndrome
A syndrome that causes slowed growth, abnormal facial features, and mental retardation. Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of all or part of chromosome 21. Most individuals with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer’s disease in adulthood.
Durable power of attorney
A legal document that allows an individual (the principal) an opportunity to authorize an agent (usually a trusted family member or friend) to make legal decisions for when the person is no longer able to do so themselves.
Durable power of attorney for health care
A legal document that allows an individual to appoint an agent to make all decisions regarding health care, including choices regarding health care providers, medical treatment, and, in the later stages of the disease, end-of-life decisions.
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E
Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease
An unusual form of Alzheimer’s in which individuals are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s before the age of 65. Less than 10 percent of all Alzheimer patients have early-onset. Early-onset Alzheimer’s is associated with mutations in genes located on chromosomes 1, 14 and 21.
Early stage
The beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease when an individual experiences very mild to moderate cognitive impairments.
Elder law attorney
An attorney who practices in the area of elder law, a specialized area of law focusing on issues that typically affect older adults.
Electron microscope
A powerful microscope that employs a stream of electrons to magnify an image.
Environment
Physical and interpersonal surroundings that can affect mood and behaviors in people with dementia.
Enzyme
A protein produced by living organisms that promotes or otherwise influences chemical reactions.
Estrogen
A hormone produced by the ovaries and testes. It stimulates the development of secondary sexual characteristics and induces menstruation in women. Estrogen is important for the maintenance of normal brain function and development of nerve cells. Estrogen is used therapeutically to treat breast and prostate cancer and osteoporosis, and to relieve the discomforts of menopause.
Excitotoxicity
Overstimulation of nerve cells by nerve impulses. Excitotoxicity often leads to cell damage or death.
Executor
The individual named in a will who manages the estate of a deceased individual.
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F
Familial Alzheimer’s disease
A form of Alzheimer’s disease that runs in families.
Fatty acids
Acids within the body derived from the breakdown of fats.
Free radicals
Highly reactive molecules capable of causing damage in brain and other tissue. Free radicals are common by-products of normal chemical reactions occurring in cells. The body has several mechanisms to deactivate free radicals.
Free-standing, dementia-specific care center
A facility solely dedicated to the care of people with dementia. This building can sometimes be part of a larger campus.
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G
Gait
A person’s manner of walking. People in the later stages of Alzheimer’s often have “reduced gait,” meaning their ability to lift their feet as they walk has dimished.
Gene
The basic unit of heredity; a section of DNA coding for a particular trait.
Gene linkage
A group of genes located close together on a chromosome.
Gene regulation
The control of the rate or manner in which a gene is expressed.
Genetic susceptibility
The state of being more likely than the average person to develop a disease as a result of genetics.
Genome
All the genes of an organism.
Glucose
A simple sugar that is a major energy source for all cellular and bodily functions. Glucose is obtained through the breakdown, or metabolism, of food in the digestive system.
Glutamate
An amino acid neurotransmitter normally involved in learning and memory. Under certain circumstances it can be an excitotoxin and appears to cause nerve cell death in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders.
Guardian
An individual appointed by the courts who is authorized to make legal and financial decisions for another individual.
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H
Hallucination
A sensory experience in which a person can see, hear, smell, taste or feel something that isn’t there.
Hippocampus
A part of the brain that is important for learning and memory.
Hoarding
Collecting and putting things away in a guarded manner.
Hospice
Philosophy and approach to providing comfort and care at life’s end rather than heroic lifesaving measures.
Huntington’s disease
An inherited, degenerative brain disease affecting the mind and body, characterized by intellectual decline and involuntary movement of limbs.
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I
Immune system
A system of cells that protect a person from bacteria, viruses, toxins and other foreign substances that enter the body.
Incidence
See prevalence
Incontinence
Loss of bladder and/or bowel control.
Inflammatory response
The immune system’s normal response to tissue injury or abnormal stimulation caused by a physical, chemical or biological substance. Immune system cells, if abnormally stimulated, can often cause further tissue damage while responding to the injured site.
Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs)
Secondary level of activities (different from ADLs, such as eating, dressing, and bathing) important to daily living, such as cooking, writing and driving.
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L
Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease
The most common form of Alzheimer’s disease, usually occurring after age 65. Late-onset Alzheimer’s strikes almost half of all people over the age of 85 and may or may not be hereditary.
Late stage
Designation given when dementia symptoms have progressed to the extent that a person has little capacity for self-care.
Layering
Behavior that involves inappropriately changing or layering clothing on top of one another.
Lewy body dementia
A dementing illness associated with protein deposits called Lewy bodies, found in the cortex of the brain.
Living trust
A legal document that allows an individual (the grantor or trustor) to create a trust and appoint someone else as trustee (usually a trusted individual or bank) to carefully invest and manage his or her assets.
Living will
A legal document that expresses an individual’s decision on the use of artificial life support systems.
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M
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A brain scanning technique that generates cross-sectional images of a human brain by detecting small molecular changes. MRI scans reveal a contrast between normal and abnormal tissues. The image produced is similar to those generated by CT scans. There are no side effects or risks associated with MRI scans, although MRI can affect electrical devices like pacemakers and hearing aids.
Medicaid
A program sponsored by the federal government and administered by states that is intended to provide health care and health-related services to low-income individuals.
Medicare
A federal health insurance program for people age 65 and older and for individuals with disabilities.
Memory
The ability to process information that requires attention, storage, and retrieval.
Metabolism
The complex chemical and physical processes of living organisms that promote growth, sustain life and enable all other bodily functions to take place.
microglia (microglial cells)
A type of immune cell found in the brain. Microglia are scavengers, engulfing dead cells and other debris. In Alzheimer’s disease, microglia are found associated with dying nerve cells and amyloid plaques.
MID
See multi-infarct dementia.
Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)
A standard mental status exam routinely used to measure a person’s basic cognitive skills, such as short-term memory, long-term memory, orientation, writing and language.
Mitochondria
Components found in cells that serve as primary energy sources for all cellular functions.
Model system
A system used to study processes that take place in humans or other living organisms.
Monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B)
An enzyme that breaks down certain neurotransmitters, including dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)
A drug that interferes with the action of monoamine oxidase, slowing the breakdown of certain neurotransmitters. Used in the treatment of depression.
MRI
See magnetic resonance imaging.
Multi-infarct dementia (MID)
A form of dementia, also known as vascular dementia, caused by a number of strokes in the brain. These strokes can affect some intellectual abilities, impair motor and walking skills, and cause an individual to experience hallucinations, delusions, or depression. The onset of MID is usually abrupt and often progresses in a stepwise fashion. Individuals with MID are likely to have risk factors for strokes, such as high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes. MID cannot be treated; once the nerve cells die, they cannot be replaced. However, risk factors can be treated, which may help prevent further damage.
Music therapy
Use of music to improve physical, psychological, cognitive and social functioning.
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N
Nerve cell (neuron)
The basic working unit of the nervous system. The nerve cell is typically composed of a cell body containing the nucleus, several short branches (dendrites), and one long arm (the axon) with short branches along its length and at its end. Nerve cells send signals that control the actions of other cells in the body, such as other nerve cells and muscle cells.
Nerve cell line
A group of nerve cells derived from a cell culture that can be used for experimental purposes.
Nerve cell transplantation
An experimental procedure in which normal brain cells are implanted into diseased areas of the brain to replace dying or damaged cells.
Nerve growth factor (NGF)
A protein that promotes nerve cell growth and may protect some types of nerve cells from damage.
Neuritic plaque
See amyloid plaque.
Neurodegenerative disease
A type of neurological disorder marked by the loss of nerve cells. See Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease.
Neurofibrillary tangle
Accumulation of twisted protein fragments inside nerve cells. Neurofibrillary tangles are one of the characteristic structural abnormalities found in the brains of Alzheimer patients. Upon autopsy, the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles is used to positively diagnose Alzheimer’s.
Neurological disorder
Disturbance in structure or function of the nervous system resulting from developmental abnormality, disease, injury or toxin.
Neurologist
A physician who diagnoses and treats disorders of the nervous system.
Neuron
See nerve cell.
Neuropathology
Changes in the brain produced by a disease.
Neurotransmission
Passage of signals from one nerve cell to another via chemical substances or electrical signals.
Neurotransmitter
Specialized chemical messenger (e.g., acetylcholine, dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin) that sends a message from one nerve cell to another. Most neurotransmitters play different roles throughout the body, many of which are not yet known.
Neurotrophic factor
A protein, such as nerve growth factor, that promotes nerve cell growth and survival.
Nucleus
The central component of a cell; contains all genetic material.
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O
Onset
Defines time of life when Alzheimer’s disease begins (e.g., early-onset, late-onset).
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P
Pacing
Aimless wandering, often triggered by an internal stimulus (e.g., pain, hunger, or boredom) or some distraction in the environment (e.g., noise, smell, temperature).
Paranoia
Suspicion of others that is not based on fact.
Parkinson’s disease
A progressive, neurodegenerative disease characterized by the death of nerve cells in a specific area of the brain; the cause of nerve cell death is unknown. Parkinson patients lack the neurotransmitter dopamine and have such symptoms as tremors, speech impediments, movement difficulties, and often dementia later in the course of the disease.
Peripheral nervous system (PNS)
One of the two major divisions of the nervous system. Nerves in the PNS connect the central nervous system with sensory organs, other organs, muscles, blood vessels, and glands.
Perseveration
Persistent repetition of an activity, word, phrase, or movement, such as tapping, wiping and picking.
Personal care
See activities of daily living.
PET scan
See positron emission tomography scan.
Pharmacology
The study of drugs, including their composition, production, uses and effects in the body.
Phosphorylation
The chemical addition of a phosphate group (phosphate and oxygen) to a protein or another compound.
Pick’s disease
Type of dementia in which degeneration of nerve cells causes dramatic alterations in personality and social behavior but typically does not affect memory until later in the disease.
Placebo
An inactive material in the same form as an active drug, for example, a sugar pill. See double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Plaques and tangles
See amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangle.
Positron emission tomography scan (PET scan)
An imaging scan that measures the activity or functional level of the brain by measuring its use of glucose.
Presenilins
Proteins that may be linked to early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Genes that code for presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 have been found on chromosomes 14 and 1, respectively, and are linked to early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.
prevalence
The total number of individuals who have a disease at a given point in time. For example, the estimate that 4.5 million Americans currently have Alzheimer’s disease is a prevalence statistic. Incidence is the number of new cases expected to occur over the course of a year or some other limited period.
Principal
The individual signing the power of attorney to authorize another individual to legally make decisions for him or her.
Prions
Protein segments that may cause infection that may lead to some forms of dementia.
Proteases
Enzymes that aid in the breakdown of proteins in the body.
Protein metabolism
The breakdown of proteins into amino acids, a process essential to human growth and metabolism.
Psychosis
A general term for a state of mind in which thinking becomes irrational and/or disturbed. It refers primarily to delusions, hallucinations and other severe thought disturbances.
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Quality care
Term used to describe care and services that allow recipients to attain and maintain their highest level of mental, physical, and psychological function, in a dignified and caring way.
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R
Reassurance
Encouragement intended to relieve tension, fear and confusion that can result from dementing illnesses.
Receptor
A site on a nerve cell that receives a specific neurotransmitter; the message receiver.
Receptor agonist
A substance that mimics a specific neurotransmitter, is able to attach to that neurotransmitter’s receptor, and thereby produces the same action that the neurotransmitter usually produces. Drugs are often designed as receptor agonists to treat a variety of diseases and disorders in which the original chemical substance is missing or depleted.
Recombinant DNA technology
Artificial rearrangement of DNA; segments of DNA from one organism can be incorporated into the genetic makeup of another organism. Using these techniques, researchers can study the characteristics and actions of specific genes. Many modern genetic research methods are based on recombinant DNA technology.
Reinforcement
Employment of praise, repetition, and stimulation of the senses to preserve a person’s memory, capabilities, and level of self-assurance.
Reminiscence
Life review activity aimed at surfacing and reviewing positive memories and experiences.
Repetitive behaviors
Repeated questions, stories, and outbursts or specific activities done over and over again, common in people with dementia.
Respite
A short break or time away.
Respite care
Services that provide people with temporary relief from tasks associated with caregiving (e.g., in-home assistance, short nursing home stays, adult day care).
Restraints
Devices used to ensure safety by restricting and controlling a person’s movement. Many facilities are “restraint free” or use alternative methods to help modify behavior.
Risk factors
Factors that have been shown to increase one’s odds of developing a disease. In Alzheimer’s disease, the only established risk factors are age, family history and genetics.
Rummaging
Searching through one's own or someone else's belongings in a way that may seem haphazard and undirected to an observer.
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S
Safe Return®
The Alzheimer’s Association’s nationwide identification, support, and registration program that assists in the safe return of individuals with Alzheimer’s or related dementia who wander and become lost.
Senile plaque
See amyloid plaque.
Senility
Term meaning “old,” once used to describe elderly diagnosed with dementia. Today, we know dementia is caused by various diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s) and is not a normal part of aging.
Sequencing
In human behavior, doing things in a logical, predictable order.
Shadowing
Following, mimicking, and interrupting behaviors that people with dementia may experience.
Side effect
An undesired effect of a drug treatment that may range in severity from barely noticeable, to uncomfortable, to dangerous. Side effects are usually predictable.
Skilled nursing care
Level of care that includes ongoing medical or nursing services.
Special care unit
Designated area of a residential care facility or nursing home that cares specifically for the needs of people with Alzheimer’s.
Spinal cord
One of the two components of the central nervous system. The spinal cord is the main relay for signals between the brain and the rest of the body.
Stages
Course of disease progression defined by levels or periods of severity: early, mild, moderate, moderately severe, severe.
Sundowning
Unsettled behavior evident in the late afternoon or early evening.
Support group
Facilitated gathering of caregivers, family, friends, or others affected by a disease or condition for the purpose of discussing issues related to the disease.
Suspiciousness
A mistrust common in Alzheimer patients as their memory becomes progressively worse. A common example is when patients believe their glasses or other belongings have been stolen because they forgot where they left them.
Synapse
The junction where a signal is transmitted from one nerve cell to another, usually by a neurotransmitter.
Synaptic vesicles
Small sacs located at the ends of nerve cell axons that contain neurotransmitters. During activity the vesicles release their contents at the synapse, and the neurotransmitter stimulates receptors on other cells.
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T
Tangles
See neurofibrillary tangles.
Tau protein
The major protein that makes up neurofibrillary tangles found in degenerating nerve cells. Tau is normally involved in maintaining the internal structure of the nerve cell. In Alzheimer’s disease, tau protein is abnormally processed.
Tissue
A group of similar cells that act together in the performance of a particular function.
Toxin
A substance that can cause illness, injury, or death. Toxins are produced by living organisms.
Trigger
An environmental or personal stimulus that sets off particular and sometimes challenging behavior.
Trustee
The individual or bank managing the assets of the living trust.
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UV
Variant Creuzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)
A recently identified form of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease believed to be caused by eating meat from cattle affected by “mad cow disease” (bovine spongiform encephalopathy). VCJD tends to appear in much younger individuals than those affected by sporadic or inherited Creutzfeldt-Jakob.
Vesicle
A small pouch or pouch-like structure (sac). Vesicles in nerve cell axons contain neurotransmitters.
Vitamins
Various substances found in plants and animals that are required for life-sustaining processes.
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W
Wandering
Common behavior that causes people with dementia to stray and become lost in familiar surroundings.
Will
A legal document created by an individual that names an executor (the person who will managed the estate) and beneficiaries (persons who will receive the estate at the time of death).
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XYZ
Zinc
A metal that is essential for proper nutrition. It is unknown if zinc plays a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.