Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

The acquired and persistent damage of intelligence, including the changes of memory, thinking, orientation, calculation, learning ability, language, judging function, emotions or personality, occurs in the aged people over 60 years.

Etiology of Traditional Chinese Medicine
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is understood that there are many causative factors for this disease: since the heart houses mind, so when the heart orifice is misted, the mind can not function; kidney houses the will, and when the will is harmed, the previous speech might be easily forgotten; up to the age of eighty, the “Po” (corporeal soul) is away, so the person can not speak and behave in a proper way. Generally speaking there are mainly such causes as: 1). Insufficiency of kidney essence; 2). Dysfunction of mind; 3). Obstruction by phlegm; 4). Blood stagnation blocking meridians and collaterals.

The Diagnosis and Differentiation of Traditional Chinese Medicine

1. Insufficiency of kidney essence: overstrain, or overindulgence in sexual activities have consumed the kidney essence, thus the “sea of marrow” becomes empty, so there could appear such manifestations as bent back, premature loss of teeth and hair, dizziness, tinnitus, blurred vision, poor memory, incontinence of urine and stool, slow and awkward actions and deep, weak pulse, especially in “Chi” pulse.

2. Deficient heart and disabled mind: over-thinking exhausts the energy, and the heart and mind are undermined, then the spirit and thinking become dull, the consciousness is not very clear, the speech is slurring; to be even worse, involuntary cry and laugh, irregularity of sleep, self-murmuring, inability to answer questions, pale tongue, deep, thready, and forceless “Cun” pulse.

3. Misting by turbid-phlegm: obese build, sluggishness and reluctance to move, preference for rich food; or hot-temper, depression, gradually developing to reluctance to speak, dull expression, unclear mind, inability to distinguish the family members from strangers, the beauty from ugliness, the good from the bad, etc., thick and sticky tongue coating, and rolling-forceful pulse.

4. Blood stagnation blocking meridians: there used to be the history of sudden falling-down, associated with paralysis of limbs, deviation of mouth and eyes, slurring of speech, slow reaction; or even worse, there was attack of stroke associated with unconsciousness, mental derangement even after the recovery, dark-purple tongue or with stasis spots, and wiry, hesitant, and unharmonious pulse.

Treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine

1. To insufficiency of kidney essence: to replenish the kidney essence, and to reinforce the functions of brain.
Pilose Antler 3g, Human Placenta 10,Epimedium 15g, Morinda Root 10g, Eucommia Bark (stir-fried) 10g, Sesame Seed 15g, Mulberry 15g, Grass-leaved Sweetflag Rhizome 10g, and Licorice Root 5g

2.To the deficiency of heart and disabled mind: to tonify the heart, nourish the mind, and cultivate the intelligence.
Ginseng 3g, Milkvetch (astragalus) Root 15g, Asparagus Root 10g,Rehmannia Root 15g, Milkwort Root 10g, Chuanxiong 10g, Lotus Seed 15g,Grass-leaved Sweetflag Rhizome 15g, and Licorice Root 5g.

3. To the obstruction and misting by turbid phlegm: to resolve the phlegm from the orifices, and to vitalize the brain to cultivate the intelligence.
Tangerine Peel 10g, Pinellia Tuber 10g, Poria 15g, Milkwort Root 10g, Grass-leaved Sweetflag Rhizome 15g, Bezoar 0.3g, and Musk 0.15g.

4. To the blood stagnation blocking meridians: to disperse the stagnation to reopen the meridians, and to vitalize the brain to recover the intelligence.
Chinese Angelica 10g, Rehmannia Root 15g, Red Peony Root 15g, Safflower 10g, Chuanxiong 10g, Peach Kernel 15g, and Musk 0.3g.

In clinic, it is difficult to distinguish one syndrome from another, both heart and kidney could be coincidentally deficient, or phlegm and stagnation could coexist. The key point of syndrome differentiation is: to grasp the principle and use it flexibly; to ensure the syndrome by ascertaining the etiology; and to make changes on the ground of patients’ conditions. In general, the treatment aims to cure the disease.