Alzheimer’s Stages: How the Disease Progresses

Alzheimer’s disease can last more than a decade. See what types of behaviors are common in each of the stages as the disease progresses.

Alzheimer’s disease tends to develop slowly and gradually worsens over several years. Eventually, Alzheimer’s disease affects most areas of your brain. Memory, thinking, judgment, language, problem-solving, personality and movement can all be affected by the disease.

There are five stages associated with Alzheimer’s disease: preclinical Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease, mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease, moderate dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease and severe dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that affect intellectual and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily function.

The five Alzheimer’s stages can help you understand what might happen. But it’s important to know that these stages are only rough generalizations. The disease is a continuous process. Each person has a different experience with Alzheimer’s and its symptoms.

Keep reading this article on Mayo Clinic.