Ask an Expert about Alzheimer's Disease

There is no evidence that hypocalcemia causes Alzheimer's disease. Hypocalcemia, however, might indicate malnutrition. Furthermore, whatever the cause, when calcium is very low, it can cause confusion that resembles dementia without it being Alzheimer's disease.

Scratching can represent an adverse response to a medication that she is taking. It can also be a reaction to an environmental allergen, such as the detergent used to wash her bedclothes or clothes. Sometimes, scratching is a response to itchiness caused by dry skin. Unfortunately, your grandmother's impaired memory will not remind her that she has just scratched. She will feel the trace of itchiness that prompted the initial scratching, relieve the sensation again, and perhaps even induce secondary itchiness as a consequence of the repetitive scratching. You may wish to try massaging her skin with a soothing lotion to see whether that reduces the scratching. As an alternative, there are anti-itch creams like topical diphenhydramine. The oral medications that relieve skin itchiness can be sedating and potentially can impair memory, so they are not the best solution. Please discuss these possibilities with your grandmother's doctor. A dermatologist is likely to provide additional advice.

First, I would look at his medications. If he is taking niacin, or another medication that increases blood flow to the skin, the heat sensation could be related to that medication. Next, consider whether he could be anxious. See when the heat feeling occurs and whether it follows particular stresses or frustrations. Finally, there is a small chance this would represent a focal seizure or other neurological problem that can be addressed by a neurologist.

The term “karyotype” means a description of the number and appearance (under a microscope) of the chromosomes in a cell nucleus. Alzheimer's disease heritability is influenced by genes, but for most patients with AD the karyotype would not look different from that of someone without the disease.

One important exception is in people with Down syndrome. In this disease, there is an abnormal karyotype that includes 3 copies of chromosome 21 (trisomy). People with Down syndrome are much more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease than those in the general population.

Alzheimer's disease does not typically affect the shape of the skull. Brain size often decreases as the disease progresses; however, this is not reflected by any change in the bones of the skull.

The presence of a stroke actually increases rather than decreases the formation of plaques, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to mimic a stroke around a plaque.

I am sorry for your loss, and many grieving individuals question whether medications prescribed during a terminal illness were more harmful than beneficial. The medications for Alzheimer's disease are not thought to either decrease or increase survival time; however, quality of life is modestly improved for some affected people and their caregivers. Ascites is more typically caused by liver failure than by malfunctioning kidneys, and it is more often the case that malfunctioning kidneys alter the effects of medications rather than vice versa.

By far, the most important risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is advancing age. With increased longevity, both the incidence (number of new cases per year) and prevalence (number of cases altogether) have increased greatly. Currently, an estimated 5.4 million suffer from Alzheimer's disease in the United States. The number of adults aged 65 years and older is expected to more than double between 2010 and 2050. An especially large increase will occur in the very elderly.