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Case Studies Of Early Onset Alzheimers Disease
Alzheimers disease intro scientific papers
Early alzheimers case study
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Alzheimer’s is most likely formed by other symptoms called dementia. Dementia is not an actual disease, but has a vast range of symptoms which are precursors to many types of diseases. When dementia is detected in an individual their memory tends to decline and it becomes a hassle to complete everyday duties. When diagnosing individuals there are a series of steps taken in order to see if the individual progressed to dementia and also which disease caused those symptoms to take effect. These stages are preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Within the preclinical stage there are three sub-stages that deal with protein, plaque buildup in the brain called beta-amyloid. The symptoms for this stage are undetectable. Stage two is the MCI stage, which contain more visible symptoms such as deterioration of thinking abilities. Stage three is dementia. The symptoms for this stage are more severe and researchers use biomarkers (biochemical trackers) to detect the disease. There have been questions on whether individuals diagnosed with MCI are more likely to stop at dementia or progress towards Alzheimer’s disease. There have been a couple of experiments pertaining to this question, however people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) tend to pass the third stage, which is dementia and progress towards Alzheimer’s. When a person is diagnosed with a certain health problem, it doesn’t come within a matter of seconds, it happens within a steady process. First there are symptoms which most people ignore until diagnosis, then after a couple of years of ignoring the symptoms that person is diagnosed. Minor symptoms could start with slight memory loss that could result in, for example, misplacing car keys and forgett... ... middle of paper ... ...the individuals mental abilities start to slow down. Lastly, stage three dealt with dementia. Within this stage the cognitive functions start shutting down. Researchers diagnose individuals with this stage and test whether they have progressed into Alzheimer’s disease. The detection of Alzheimer’s disease is easier for the researchers to detect because the symptoms are noticeable and their cognitive and behavior changes for the worst. These individuals start having mood swings and obsessive compulsion disorder and unacceptable social behavior. Referring back to the BMC Neurology research experiment, it showed that 54 individuals were diagnosed with Dementia and 50 individuals progressed to Alzheimer’s disease. This concludes that people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) tend to pass the third stage, which is dementia and progress towards Alzheimer’s.
With the diagnosis of disease comes many life altering events. Someone’s world can be turned upside down at the moment it is recognized and these people have no choice but to adjust. Sometimes, the disease has the power to inhibit even the most simple activities, or in some lucky cases, inhibit almost none.
When I think about the moments leading up to my diagnosis I remember feeling weak, confused, shaky and sleepy. I did not notice that I had began sleeping throughout the day. My body was craving soft drinks like soda and juice but not food. Days would go by and I eventually fell into a deep slumber that I found myself only waking up from to use the bathroom. I knew something was wrong and that if I did not get to a hospital it would get worse. Nothing could have prepared me for the life changing diagnosis I would receive.
Alzheimer is a dementia type of disease named after Dr. Alois alzheimer that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills,and eventually , the ability to do simple things, or recognize their family. The first case occurred in the 1906 when a woman died on a unusual mental illness. After she died Dr.Alois examined her brain , amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary. Alzheimer’s is in older people the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is a loss of remembering ,thinking and reasoning skills, that intervenes with your daily life and activities. It is very common in people over sixty years of age. People younger than sixty years can also
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
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).
Mishel’s Uncertainty of Illness Theory is a middle-range theory indicating the theory is not overly broad or narrow (Black, 2014). The theory was developed from studying men with prostate cancer who were watchfully waiting for the advancing signs of their disease (Black, 2014). The theory has three main components, which incorporate: the antecedents of uncertainty, impaired cognitive appraisal, and coping with uncertainty in illness (Neville, 2003). The antecedents of Mishel’s theory are the stimulus frame, cognitive capacities and event congruence (Neville, 2003). The stimulus frame concerns three parts including: symptom pattern, event familiarity and event congruency (Neville, 2003). Symptom pattern may be when symptoms of illness present with consistency to form a pattern (Elphee, 2008). Event familiarity refers to the repetitive nature of the healthcare environment and not necessarily the physical characteristics of the disease (Elphee, 2008). Elphee also defines event congruence as the cor...
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...
NIH: National Institute on Aging, states that scientists don’t yet fully understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease in most people. But says that Alzheimer's disease consists of three main stages: mild (sometimes called early-stage), moderate, and severe (sometimes called late-stage).
There are many ways to categorize illness and disease; one of the most common is chronic illness. Many chronic illnesses have been related to altered health maintenance hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are associated with diet and stress, deficient in exercise, tobacco use, and obesity (Craven 2009). Some researchers define the chronic illness as diseases which have long duration and generally slow development (WHO 2013); it usually takes 6 month or longer than 6 month, and often for the person's life. It has a sluggish onset and eras of reduction for vanishing the symptoms and exacerbation for reappear the symptoms. Some of chronic illness can be directly life-threatening. Others remain over time and need intensive management, such as diabetes, so chronic illness affects physical, emotional, logical, occupational, social, or spiritual functioning. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, all of these diseases are the cause of mortality in the world, representing 63% of all deaths. So a chronic illness can be stressful and may change the way a person l...
The uncertain nature of chronic illness takes many forms, but all are long-term and cannot be cured. The nature of chronic illness raises hesitation. It can disturb anyone, irrespective of demographics or traditions. It fluctuates lives and generates various inquiries for the patient. Chronic illness few clear features involve: long-lasting; can be managed but not cured; impacts quality of life; and contribute to stress. Chronic illnesses can be enigmatic. They often take considerable time to identify, they are imperceptible and often carry a stigma because there is little sympathetic or social support. Many patients receive inconsistent diagnoses at first and treatments deviate on an individual level. Nevertheless, some circumstances require
In the United States approximately 5.1 million Americans are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s is a condition where the person who is affected suffers from deterioration of the brain, which causes memory loss. People living with Alzheimer’s do not remember or recall any memories from their past, and as the disease progresses they will not know how to walk, talk, or eat. By knowing what Alzheimer is, one can understand how to stall further development of the disease.
This usually occurs in older adults aged above 65; however, it is a disability and not a normal symptom of aging. Chances of inheritability are present, but it depends on the individual and the type of dementia (Alzheimer Australia, 2011). The Global Deterioration Scale provides a detailed explanation of the seven stages of cognitive decline in dementia (Alzheimer’s Association of Canada, 2005). Types of Dementia There are four main types of dementia, with AD being the most widespread form. It accounts for almost two thirds (50 -70 percent) of the cases and thus more extensively studied (Miller, 2009)....
Researchers agree that Alzheimer’s disease is most likely caused by both genetic and chemical factors. One such chemical is called Acetylcholine. This is needed for the transmission of messages in the brain and nervous system. Stage 1 of Alzheimer’s disease generally lasts for around one to three years. In many cases, people with this disease are not diagnosed until they are well into the first stage.
Denial of the problem. Sometimes patients are diagnosed with a disease or condition and they easily ignore it. This is true for diseases that are asymptomatic, which means symptoms of the condition or disease are not noticeable in the patient. For instance, some patients with high blood pressure may not show symptoms that get in the way of everyday life. Some patients may not even know they have the condition until they go to the doctor for a follow up appointment. This makes it easy for patients to ignore the prescribed treatment regimens.