Depression is one of the most common symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. This is usually experienced during the middle and late stage in life. The disease may progress slowly or rapidly that it may require the elderly individual to be taken to care agencies bristol. To an observant family member, the symptoms of depression can be identified as follows:
Apathy or loss of interest in the usual activities that the individual does. All of a sudden, they just lose interest in gardening, reading or going out with friends. For no apparent reason, they just refuse to do it and turn down any requests of being with friends amidst encouragements.
Social Withdrawal. Along with the loss of interest with activities the individual does, they also will not converse anymore. Family interactions are usually punctuated by the individual’s loss of interaction or remarks. This is unusual for someone whom you know as a very talkative person. Visits from friends are also turned down and most of the time, the individual is irritated with people trying to talk to him.
Isolation. The individual would always want to be left alone. This is the outcome from loss of interest and social withdrawal. As the disease progresses, positive encouragement from friends do not take effect in any form.
Impaired Thinking. A person with Alzheimer’s disease cannot express the reason for the above mentioned symptoms. The feeling of depression does not have any significant source or triggering situation. There is also no significant attempt to commit suicide like depressed individuals without Alzheimer’s commonly contemplate on doing.
The amount of social withdrawal, apathy, social isolation and impaired thinking will worsen as the disease progresses. Close friends and family members of the individual with Alzheimer’s usually will seek help when the above mentioned symptoms were noted. However, since these symptoms are not consistent in their occurrence, it is also possible that family members may dismiss the symptoms as part of the aging process.
It may be beneficial to seek help once you noticed these symptoms in the elderly. Consultation with a geriatric specialist may involve prescription of antidepressant medication. In the US, BBC reported that scientist and health researchers may have found an antidepressant that can significantly slow down the progress of dementia.
The study, which was carried out between 2012 and 2014, involved use of mice with Alzheimer’s. The mice were given antidepressant medication for two months. The brains of these mice were examined for protein plaques that triggered the dementia and have shown that growth of new protein plaques were arrested. This could be a medical breakthrough, though the protein plaques in the brain did not shrink in size or number. However, this is positive news for individuals with Alzheimer’s as well as those who have a familial tendency to it.
For the meantime, families of individuals with Alzheimer’s should consistently support them with home care in bristol. The battle with Alzheimer’s may be a long and exhaustive one, but, with the advent of this research, there may be something to hope for.



