A staggering 90 percent of individuals with Alzheimer”s disease experience severe neuropsychiatric symptoms, transforming the condition into a profoundly psychiatric illness that causes a “loss of one’s self,” a prominent neurophysician stated at a national conference.

Speaking at the 26th National PPS Psychiatric Conference 2025, Dr. Fowzia Siddiqui, President of the Epilepsy Foundation Pakistan, today described Alzheimer’s as a complex disorder where the psychiatric manifestations are often more distressing than the cognitive decline itself.

The expert, who is also a Neurologist and Epileptologist at Aga Khan University Hospital, explained that as neurodegeneration advances, it disrupts crucial brain circuits and neurotransmitter pathways, leading to a range of symptoms including depression, anxiety, apathy, irritability, paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations.

Dr. Fowzia noted a pattern in the illness”s course, where depression and anxiety may appear early on as an individual becomes aware of their cognitive loss. Later, as the brain”s cortical control weakens, psychosis and agitation tend to emerge.

Contemporary research, she highlighted, shows the disease process begins decades before symptoms surface and is influenced by a mix of genetic, vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory factors, moving beyond the traditional markers of amyloid plaques and tau tangles.

Advances in biomarkers and neuroimaging are enabling earlier, more precise diagnoses, the specialist said. Emerging therapies, such as anti-amyloid antibodies and anti-inflammatory agents, now aim to slow the disease”s progression rather than merely treat its symptoms.

Dr. Fowzia advocated for a ‘Mind plus Memory’ approach that emphasizes holistic brain health through physical activity, cognitive engagement, emotional well-being, and social connection. This integrated strategy can foster resilience and may delay the onset of the disease.

Although a cure remains elusive, she concluded that these insights offer significant hope, transforming Alzheimer’s from an inevitable decline to a condition that can be understood, managed, and perhaps one day prevented, preserving both memory and the mind.