Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Causes and treatment for Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology
Causes and treatments of Alzheimer's disease
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Causes and treatment for Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s disease is an unpreventable, untreatable disorder which leads to the lowest form of quality of life. This disease causes lacking cognitive abilities in the area of remembrance, reason, and recognition of familiar places and faces; is predicted to affect 16 million people in the United States by 2050 unless a viable treatment or cure is found. Because this disease affects the fastest-growing age group, current clinical trials are striving to find effective pre-Alzheimer’s Disease tests. However, there are people who believe that these pre-screening methods are not reliable.
Those that favor the idea of pre-Alzheimer’s Disease testing believe that cognitive abilities screening, neuropsychological exams, brain image testing and spinal fluid are the key to detecting this disease early in life. Through cognitive abilities screening the administering clinician is able to track and compare linguistic abilities associated with cognitive abilities over set intervals of time. In neuropsychological exams the clinician is able to detect early onset attributes of Alzheimer’s and recognize what areas will be affected. Brain imaging allows clinicians to diagnose Alzheimer’s with 90 percent accuracy. Lastly, in spinal fluid clinicians can identify a certain protein which has an 80%-90% exactitude of which people will have Alzheimer’s later in life.
In contrast, those who dispute the abilities of pre-Alzheimer Disease screening believe there is a downfall to each of the testing methods listed above. A failing cognitive abilities test has many reasons besides Alzheimer’s and can it distinguish which functions are affected the most. Neuropsychological testing is extensive, long and can cause stress for the recipient leading t...
... middle of paper ...
...uters, T. (2011). Spinal fluid test could help predict early alzheimer's. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/23/spinal-fluid-alzheimers-test_n_883194.html
Scott, P. (2011). Alzheimer's tests: pros and cons of the 6 main options. Retrieved from http://www.caring.com/articles/alzheimers-tests-pros-cons
Snowdon, D. (1996). Landmark study links cognitive ability of youth with Alzheimer’s disease risk later in life. Journal of the American Medical Association, Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/ResearchInformation/NewsReleases/Archives/PR1996/PR19960220nunstudy.htm
The use of brain imaging in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alzheimerstreatment.org/diagnosis/brain-imaging.html
Winchester, K. (2008). Contrast of contrast. Retrieved from http://www.jama.org/contrast/mri_dang_2/review.html
In 13 patients a significant difference between verbal and performance IQ was found. In 10 of them the performance IQ was higher than the verbal. The results of subtest analysis indicate that cognitive strengths are more visible than cognitive weaknesses.
The sixth leading cause of death in the United States, Alzheimer’s disease afflicts approximately 5.2 million persons age 65 and over (Alzheimer's Association, 2012). Rapid growth of the older population as the Baby Boomer generation ages will cause unprecedented increases in the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s. It is estimated that by 2025 the number of Wisconsin residents with Alzheimer’s age 65 and older will increase by 30% to a projected total of 127,000 (Alzheimer's Association, 2012).
Two types of assessment procedures that are currently being used are the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery (LNNB), and the Halstead Russell Neuropsychological Evaluation System (HRNES-R). The LNNB is used to diagnose cognitive deficits, while the HRNES-R indicates both the presence and degree of impairment. Both procedures involve tasks that require the patient to complete a series of functions that test abilities and/or perceptions. Such tasks would include, but are not limited to, problem solving, memory, sensorimotor functioning, and psychological/emotional status.
Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is not an exact science. Certain tests are completed to assist in the diagnosis. These tests include; mental status testing, neurological exam and thorough medical history, physical tests are also completed.
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).
People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of their belongings, keeping up with plans, remembering appointments or travel dates. Many dementias are progressive. This means that symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse with time. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are diagnosed based on careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior related to each
Alzheimer’s is a result from a combination of factors that cause progressive brain deterioration that affects the memory and behavior of an individual. There are two known risk factors. The first risk factor is age. Alzheimer’s usually affects people older than 60, and rarely affects those younger than 40. The average age
Glass, J. (2012, March 13). Diagnosing Alzheimer's disease: Patient History, Exams, and More. WebMD. Retrieved May 3, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/making-diagnosis
CHARACTERISTICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DEMENTIA. (2002). In Encyclopedia of the Human Brain. Retrieved from https://hodges.idm.oclc.org/login?
Several tests are done in order to determine if a patient meets these criteria, and this can be done by physicians and neurologists.... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved January 19, 2014, from nia.nih.gov: http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/part-1-basics-healthy-brain/inside-human-brain. a.
Kumar, S., Rao, S. L., Sunny, B., & Gangadhar, B. N. (2007) Widespread cognitive impairment
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...
There is no quick and easy way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. In fact a diagnosis can only be conclusively arrived at following autopsy of the ...
...hed and streamlined to allow for earlier diagnosis. In the case of tertiary prevention, the pharmaceutical companies have a huge financial incentive to create a cure for Alzheimer’s but that is not enough. More government funded research should be dedicated towards finding methods to delay or cure Alzheimer’s disease. The baby boomer generation has already entered their 60’s. As people live longer, as a result of new treatments for common killers such as heart disease and cancer, the chances that they will succumb to Alzheimer’s increases. Failing to find preventative or curative measures will be costly. On a personal level, Alzheimer’s disease slowly attacks cognitive function-the higher thought processes; individuals degenerate into infantile dependents. The cost of caring for increasing numbers of such dependents will be a burden on both family and society.
There are four main types of dementia with AD being the most widespread form. It ac...