Abstract:
              Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most important of all the degenerative diseases of the nervous system comprising  about 50-70% of dementias characterized by progressive impairment of the cognitive functions. It is clearly an age-related disorder more frequent after middle age. More than 90% of cases of AD are sporadic and occur in individuals older than 60 years. Insidious and subtle onset of the disease is presented by disturbances of the higher cortical functions with memory impairment. The situation gradually worse, and finally, the patient becomes totally department. Ayurveda has explained three methods for understanding specific characteristic of a disease through authoritative instruction, direct observation, and inference, which can be employed to analyze AD. In Ayurveda, disease involving mental faculties has been broadly classified into two through, those affecting intellectual capacities (buddhinasa) and those affecting consciousness (sanja nasa) under the headings of Unmada and Apasmara. By utilizing the classical versions of Unmada and Atatwabhinivesa, a probable pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s can be formulated by Ayurveda methodology. An attempt is made in the current paper to explore the pathogenesis of AD in ayurvedic parlance and to modulate an effective line of management.

 

INTRODUCTION:

            Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with major clinical hallmarks of memory loss, dementia, and cognitive impairment, comprising about 50-70% of dementias. However, only one in four people with AD has been diagnosed.[2] AD is initially thought to represent relatively uncommon of pre-senile dementia, but later became clear that it can occur at any decade of adulthood. More than 90% of cases of AD are sporadic and occur in individuals older than 60 years. Familial cases constitute less than 10% of AD verall. AD deserves special attention because it bags a big amount of current annual cost of caring for patients with dementia, which is equivalent to 1% of the entire world’s gross domestic product. AD is haracterized by memory impairment as a prominent and early feature, and on advancing profound, cognitive impairment which leads the patient to be totally dependent.

           In Ayurveda, disease involving mental faculties has been broadly classified into two namely, those affecting intellectual capacities (buddhinasa) and affecting consciousness (sanja nasa).  The persons who are generally predisposed as having avarasara (inferior excellence) of majja (bone marrow)  and  satwa (quality of mind) are susceptible to AD.

          Available management in modern medicine is effective in reducing some aspects of cognitive decline, but they do not greatly influence the course of the disease. However, the holistic and medicinal approach in Ayurveda offers some possibilities to slow down the cognitive and pathological changes of AD, thereby restoring the normal brain function in affected patients.
          An attempt is made in the current paper to explore the pathogenesis of AD in Ayurvedic parlance and to modulate an effective line of management.