“Suffering from Alzheimer’s means losing yourself bit by bit, but love and care can make this journey bearable.” – Unknown

Hollywood has produced numerous films that address the topic of Alzheimer’s disease. In The Father, veteran actor Anthony Hopkins portrays Anthony, an elderly man grappling with the challenges of his cognitive decline while striving to maintain his independence.

Still Alice, adapted from Lisa Genova’s acclaimed 2007 novel, features Julianne Moore as Alice Howland, a professor who faces the reality of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which typically affects individuals under the age of 65.

In Away From Her, Julie Christie received an Oscar nomination for her role as Fiona, a woman with Alzheimer’s who chooses to enter a long-term care facility to prevent becoming a burden to her husband of five decades.

Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive brain disorder, is more common among the elderly. “Alzheimer’s occurs very rarely among those 40-50 years old, increases between 60 and 65, and is very common over 80,” says Dr. Simeon Maragisan, a professor at the Department of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Santo Tomas.

“About 5% of men and 6% of women over 60 years of age are affected with Alzheimer’s,” informs Dr. Wang Xiangdong, who was adviser of the mental health and control substance abuse program of the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) at the time when interviewed by this author.

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic condition that necessitates significant care and affection from family members. Caring for an individual with this illness can be both challenging and stressful, as noted by Dr. Miguel A. Ramos, Jr.

“People with Alzheimer’s have difficulty in recognizing relatives, friends and even themselves when facing a mirror,” Dr. Ramos explained. “They have difficulty understanding and interpreting events, have difficulty walking and finding their way around the house.

“They also would have bladder and bowel incontinence and therefore personal hygiene is a challenge for anyone taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient. They also have inappropriate behavior in public or just plain combative and aggressive to the caregiver or loved ones. Or they may be passive and confine themselves to a wheelchair or bed,” he continued.

Actually, Alzheimer’s disease has two victims: the patient and the caregiver. In most cases, Alzheimer’s is more agonizing for the caregiver than for the patient.  It is not only physically demanding but also emotionally draining.  In most instances, a caregiver experiences stress which usually manifests through denial, anger, social withdrawal, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, sleeplessness, irritability and lack of concentration.

Studies done in the United States found that caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients – compared to other people their age – have 70% more physician visits, are 50% more likely to suffer depression, and use 40% more medications.

Caregivers should be given a break by taking over caregiving responsibilities for a few days by other members of the family.  “We sometimes advise the caregivers to bring those with Alzheimer’s to a day care center where trained nurses could take care of them,” suggests Prof. Kua Ee Heok, a consultant psychiatrist from the National University of Singapore.

Alzheimer’s disease represents the most prevalent form of dementia, which encompasses a range of symptoms that impact memory, cognitive function, and social interactions, ultimately disrupting daily activities. “While dementia is a general term, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific brain disease,” says the Mayo Clinic.

NEUROMAP is the first project to integrate multimodal imaging systems. These systems combine structural-functional magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI and fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging, and positron emission tomography (PET). These help clinicians identify early markers of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia, which often go undiagnosed due to the current lack of specialized diagnostic tools.

“With the neuroimaging biobank, I am positive that this will open more doors to more comprehensive research and development efforts and better diagnostic methods,” said Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, executive director of the DOST.

NEUROMAP aims to strengthen the country’s capacity for early detection and management of neurological conditions. The project also seeks to establish a scalable neuroimaging biobank, supporting the development of localized diagnostic protocols and promoting ongoing research in brain and mental health.

“We, at DOST, are invested in providing solutions to a more comprehensive and collaborative approach in developing technologies to assess and allow early detection for neurological and neuropsychiatric conditions,” said Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr.

Meanwhile, death among those with Alzheimer’s disease is inevitable. Sometimes, you can postpone it, lessen its physical pains, deny its existence, but you cannot escape from it. There is no single cause of death associated with Alzheimer’s. However, many sufferers die from problems related to the decrease in brain function.

“When Alzheimer’s is the cause of death, patients often die because of the complications related to the disease like pneumonia, urinary tract infection, and skin infection from pressure sores,” says Dr. Victor Chong, a neurologist with special interest in dementia from the University of Malaya Medical Center in Kuala Lumpur.