Finding out a loved one has Alzheimer's disease can come as a shock and create more questions than answers. For caregivers, it's important to know how the disease will progress and what the sufferer will be going through. Being prepared for "sundowning[1] ", the behavioral and temperamental changes in the patient, is critical, as is understanding the confusion the patient feels.


In this short 4-minute video[2] , Suus Hessling[3] provides a stop-motion animation of what Alzheimer's looks like from the inside and out. The video was Hessling's graduation project for her degree from Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands.


"After a few years of fascination for this disease I wanted to know more about the cause and affect it has on the brain," Hessling says on her website[4] .


From how we store our life's memories and make sense of our surroundings, to how the initial symptoms of Alzheimer's manifest and what is going on in the brain's synapses, the video, below, shows how the disease translates into everyday life.



Retrogenese (English version)[5] from Suus Hessling[6] on Vimeo[7] .



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  • Zolpidem


    Zolpidem is used to treat insomnia (difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep). Zolpidem belongs to a class of medications called sedative-hypnotics. It works by slowing activity in the brain to allow sleep. Zolpidem is sold under Ambien and other brand names. For a complete list of other Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics, go <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/are-you-elderly-and-having-memory-or-concentration-problems">here.</a>




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    Amitriptyline is a tricyclic antidepressant often used to treat symptoms of depression. It's also been prescribed off-label as a headache preventive




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    Diazepam is used to relieve anxiety, muscle spasms, and seizures and to also control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal. Diazepam is sold under Valium and other brand names. For a complete list of other Benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics, go <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/are-you-elderly-and-having-memory-or-concentration-problems">here.</a>




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    Imipramine is a tricyclic antidepressant often used in the treatment of symptoms of depression, such as depression associated with agitation or anxiety.




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    Hydroxyzine is a first-generation antihistamine used to reduce activity in the central nervous system. It also acts as an antihistamine that decreases the natural chemical histamine in the body. Histamine can produce symptoms of sneezing and runny nose, or hives on the skin. For a list of other first-generation antihistamines, go <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/are-you-elderly-and-having-memory-or-concentration-problems">here.</a>