Balance Balance
The ability to sit or stand upright without falling over or slumping into a potentially dangerous position. is a complicated brain function that involves almost every part of the brain.

In Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease
A neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role., impaired balance can be seen from many causes, including the disease process itself, and as side effects of drugs. Many of the processes that control balance become affected as people get older, so figuring out the cause of a balance problem can be tricky.

Some facts we know are:

• The structures at the back of the brain that affect balance, called the cerebellum, would not normally be affected in Alzheimer's disease until very late in the disease.
• Deep structures, in the middle of the brain, called the basal ganglia, can also be affected. This gives rise to Parkinsonism Parkinsonism
  When you have a disorder other than Parkinson's, which features motor impairments similar to those experienced in Parkinson's disease. They are usually still related to problems with the amount of the neurotransmitter dopamine., which also occurs in relation to some of the drugs commonly used in older people.
• Often too, in Alzheimer's disease, people have difficulty integrating all the information they need to make a safe movement. This problem is known as apraxia Apraxia
  Apraxia is defined as the inability to carry out a previously learned motor activity, despite normal function of all the component parts (muscles, nerves, joints, etc.).  For example, experiencing difficulty dressing or using a knife and fork, are often clues that apraxia is present..