Can Fam Physician. 1984 Mar;30:595-9.
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function from a previously established level, and is the most common cause of all the dementias. While the exact etiology remains to be determined, there are several theories about possible genetic, immunological, biochemical and viral causes. Clinical diagnosis is by exclusion of other established causes of dementia and requires a careful history, physical examination and, often, psychological testing. Definitive diagnosis is made at post-mortem, although some cases show none of the histological hallmarks such as neurofibrillary tangles or senile plaques. There is no effective preventive or therapeutic treatment. Symptomatic management includes pharmacotherapy, socialization, support for the patient and his family and, ultimately, institutionalization. Patients are best managed by an interdisciplinary team using community resources.
阿尔茨海默病的特征是认知功能从先前建立的水平逐渐下降，是所有痴呆症中最常见的原因。虽然确切的病因仍有待确定，但有几种关于可能的遗传、免疫、生化和病毒原因的理论。临床诊断是通过排除其他已确定的痴呆症病因，并需要仔细的病史、体检，通常还需要心理测试。明确的诊断是在死后做出的，尽管有些病例没有显示出神经原纤维缠结或老年斑等组织学特征。目前还没有有效的预防或治疗方法。症状管理包括药物治疗、社交、对患者及其家属的支持，最终还有机构化。通过使用社区资源的多学科团队来管理患者效果最佳。
