Alzheimer's Dementia Alzheimer’s Dementia is one of the most common and well-known form of dementia. It is a progressive attack of the brain. There is no cure for dementia. Alzheimer’s is usually associated with the elderly. With new technology, the disease can be predicted years before symptoms begin. Genetic testing is one of the new technology utilized to diagnose Alzheimer’s. Due to this disease not having a cure, genetic counseling is required prior to testing, at time results of tests are reviewed, and afterwards if one is tested positive for the genes associated with this disorder. General Information Alzheimer’s dementia was officially discovered in 1907 by a researcher named Alois Alzheimer. She had a patient in which memory loss and other brain issues deteriorated rapidly resulting in death a short period later (Castellani, Rolston, & Smith, 2010). Alzheimer’s dementia affects individuals older than the age of 65. This disease occurs in a small percentage of individuals younger than 65. Literature varies in the percentage. According to Jorde, Carey, and Bamshad (2014), 3% to 5% of individuals diagnosed before age 65 are most likely to have inherited to dominant gene(s) for Alzheimer’s Dementia. Unfortunately, it is difficult to diagnose this disease. Medical doctors usually order numerous tests on individuals to rule out a number of disease processes before diagnosing with Alzheimer’s. According to Centers for Disease Control (2013), Alzheimer’s Dementia is the sixth leading cause of death based on 2010 data. It is definitive diagnosed upon death. A stated before, Alzheimer’s dementia is a progressive disorder of the brain. The images below are pictures of a healthy brain, a brain with advanced Alzheim... ... middle of paper ... ... Castellani, R. J., Rolston, R. K., & Smith, M. A. (2010). Alzheimer disease. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2941917/ Goldman, J. S., Hahn, S. E., Catania, J. W., LaRusse-Eckert, S., Butson, M. B., Rumbaugh, M. ... Bird, T. (2011). Genetic counseling and testing for Alzheimer disease: Joint practice guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and the National Society of Genetic Counselors. Retrieved from www.ncbinlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3326653/ Jorde, L. B., Carey, J. C., & Bamshad, M. J. (2014). Medical Genetics (4th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Elsevier. National Institute on Aging. (2012). http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet Schutte, D. L. (2013). Genetic testing and Alzheimer’s disease: Implications for psychiatric-mental health nursing. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 51(11), 14-18.
All nurses, no matter where they practice, need to have proper training in genomics and genetics to provide the best information to clients regarding recognition, prevention, and/or treatment of diseases (Thompson & Brooks, 2011). A genetic family history can help clients discover the unique patterns of health and illness within their family. In this paper, I will complete a Genetic/Genomic Nursing Assessment using the information found in Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco, & Hanson’s text (2015) in Box 7-7 (p. 198), identify three generations of a family, analyze the genetic health risks, and consider nursing strategies for this family.
-Reilly Philip. Is It In Your Genes. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. 2004: 223-228. Print
Alzheimer’s disease was first defined in 1906 by a German psychiatrist, Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive brain disorder in which the nerve cells in the brain gradually die off. It is estimated that 26 million people world-wide are afflicted by Alzheimer’s and of those, approximately 4.5 million live in the United States. It is said to be the seventh leading cause of death in the USA and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65. Seventeen percent of women and ten percent of men age 55 and older can expect to develop Alzheimer’s (apa.org, 2009). Researchers report that this disease is more prevalent in African Americans and Hispanics than in whites (Crandell, Crandell, and Zanden, 2009, p. 578).
There are seven stages of Alzheimer’s, classified by Dr. Barry Reisberg, M.D. clinical director of the New York University School of Medicine’s Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center. Each stage carr...
Memory plays a significant role in the everyday lives of people of all ages. It allows them to recall information and remember skills that were learned in the past. Memory also organizes past information to help people make current and future decisions. However, imagine forgetting the names of close family members or not having the ability to find your keys every time you want to leave the house. These are some of the struggles that people with Alzheimer’s disease face daily. Alzheimer’s disease was first identified by German neurologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, and was discovered to have an overpowering effect on explicit memory loss (Gruetzner, 1988). There are two types of Alzheimer’s disease – early onset and late onset. Early onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed before the age of 65 whereas late onset occurs in patients who are diagnosed after the age of 65. In the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, short-term memory is often lost. As Alzheimer’s disease progresses, problems with long-term memory begin to develop, in addition to short-term memory impairments. Although a lot is known about the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, the cause has not been conclusively identified. However, as research continues, new theories about the cause of Alzheimer’s disease are being proposed. This has led to a controversy over whether Alzheimer’s disease is caused by genetics or environmental influences (Gruetzner, 1988).
performance that involves, but is not limited to, a loss in at least 2 of the
of diagnosis is about 80 years old (Johnson, 1989). The incidence is about the same for all races, but women are more likely than men to develop the disease, because they live longer. The second factor is heredity. Family history plays a role in about forty percent of people with early onset of Alzheimer’s (Johnson, 1989). If your parents or a sibling developed the disease, you are more likely to, as well. But there are cases of families with several people who have had this disease and other members are not affected. These two factors are the only proven factors, but environmental research is being done to help with a possible protective effect for the disease. As of now, more research is needed to confirm any be...
The first case of dementia was discovered in 1906 by a German physiatrist Alois Alzheimer. It was first observed in a female patient and she was forty-one years old her name was Auguste D. Dr. Alzheimer observed a decline in the patient’s cognitive abilities. She lost her memory, she exhibited behavioral issues, and she suffered from hallucinations, lost the ability to comprehend language, disorientation and lost her speech. After Augusta’s passing Dr. Alzheimer preformed an autopsy that showed the classic triangles and knots we associate today with Alzheimer. Those triangles and knots are a proteins and plaque. The brain is self looked smaller and had distinct characteristics. Still with modern medicine the only way to diagnose a person with Alzheimer is after their death with an autopsy. (THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT, 2014).
Alzheimer’s disease got its name from the German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he noticed that there were abnormal clumps and bundles of fibers i...
Alzheimer's Disease Introduction to Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. It was first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915). in 1905. This disease worsens with advancing age, although there is no evidence. that it is caused by the aging process.
There are three stages towards Alzheimer’s and one should be aware of the important signs and symptoms. For instance, one should be aware of co...
Alzheimer’s can be diagnosed before age 65, although rare, and is caused by a mutation in 3 known genes. About 5 percent of those who are under 65 and possess the ailment have AD in their family history. Given that the symptoms of AD are caused by plaque in the brain, causing loss of nerve cells that help the body communicate with the brain, mutations to these genes; amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and presenilin 2 cause a excessive production of certain proteins (primarily a B-42 form of amyloid protein), and therefore spark an excessive growth of plaque cells which are toxic to the neurons of the brain. For those cases of Alzheimer’s that occur after age 65, a genetic mutation has yet to be proven, although some may be linked, to the fact that a difference may cause an increased chance of developing the ailment. Whatever the case may be for patients over 65 years old, the disease and its symptoms are caused by neurofibrillary tangles of almyloid plaques. It is impossible for someone to test positive for Alzheimer’s Disease, because the only way to determine an affirmative case i...
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025.
So, as we can see here synaptic loss is not just age related and we can see this relationship through the evidence of the parts of the brains affected as well as a study that looks at an actual comparison of synapses. The comparison is between people with no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and early Alzheimer’s disease. Mild cognitive impairment is a type of impairment within the brain that can cause a slight but noticeable decline in cognitive abilities. These abilities include memory and thinking skills. These patients are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s and that is why they were also looked at in this research (Scheff, Price, Schmitt & Mufson, 2005). One of the major research findings that led to this study was that patients with Alzheimer’s disease seemed to have a loss of synaptic contacts in their neocortex and hippocampus. This loss of synaptic contacts demonstrates an association with cognitive ability and correlates strongly with dementia. It was unknown whether patients with mild cognitive impairment had significant synaptic loss compared to those with no cognitive impairment.
Alzheimer’s affects the minds ability to function, and only worsens over time, to the point were you have to be cared for hourly. While there is not a cure for it, an interest by scientists sparks the desire to find one. The topic appealed to me because while it seems that Alzheimer’s doesn’t have much depth, it is actually a very complicated.