Social Security Benefits for Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's disease or Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disorder that affects twenty-four million people worldwide. It is estimated that five million Americans are currently afflicted with this disease. The disease is terminal and has no known cure. Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia in people over 65 years of age. There is a less-common form called early-onset Alzheimer's disease that can strike people under 65. A person can be living with Alzheimer's for a number of years before the onset of trigger symptoms that can lead to diagnosis and treatment. The most common symptom is short-term memory loss.

Are you or a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's and need the help of New Jersey Social Security Disability Attorneys to get Social Security Benefits for Alzheimer’s? Contact the New Jersey Social Security Disability Attorneys at the law firm of Kazmierczak for assistance!

The actual cause of Alzheimer's disease is unknown but doctors think the aging process and the natural breakdown or degradation of brain neural cells as well as the buildup of tangles and plaques in the dying cells may be the culprit. The development of tangles and plaques in the brain as we age is normal but in people with Alzheimer’s the production of these proteins is accelerated. They start building up in areas of the brain that play a key role in memory and learning and branch out from there. These peptides or proteins are neurotoxins that breakdown neural structures and interfere with neural brain signals, communication between cells, and cell activity.

Plaques or Senile Plaques build up between the nerve cells and gray matter of the brain. They deposit fragments of the protein beta-amyloid or amyloid beta peptides.
Tangles or Neurofibrillary Tangles are twisted fibers of a pathological protein called tau that form inside dying brain cells. They are formed when phosphate molecules form in the brain cells.

As of yet, doctors have no known cure for Alzheimer’s and the treatment is not completely understood. There is no know treatment that will stop or reverse the progression of symptoms but there is hope that existing treatment options will slow the progression of symptoms. Some doctors believe that preventive actions do make a difference but others believe that they only offer a way to manage the symptoms. These preventive actions include exercise to help get more oxygen to the brain, a healthy diet to keep the brain well nourished, and mental stimulation to keep the brain active and alert.

Some of the symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s include:

Fits of anger
Memory loss
Mood swings
Loss of bodily functions
Confusion and bewilderment
Breakdown of language skills
Dementia and loss of cognitive abilities