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understand the process of dementia
what is alzheimer's disease essay
what is alzheimer's disease essay
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What is Alzheimer's Disease? Alzheimer's Disease is an existential form of Dementia. Alzheimer's is a gradually crippling disease that affects an individual’s mental and physical capabilities over time. The disease develops predominantly within aged individuals. It is unknown as to what factors contribute to the etiology, or cause, of Alzheimer's Disease. In order to better understand Alzheimer's Disease, medical research and theories have helped shed a light as to how Alzheimer's occurs. By understanding what events lead to the cause of the disease, a specific treatment can then be developed that can hopefully stop or even reverse this debilitating disease that affects the elderly.
Alzheimer's Disease is the result of what occurs when nerve cells in the brain begin to deteriorate and die. A neuron's primary role in the brain is to communicate with other neurons, transmitting information to different regions of the brain and body. Neuron cells are also responsible for creating memories, both short-term and long-term memories. The hippocampus, which is a small area in the brain that holds a key role in the formation of memories (Mandal). As provided by Dr. Ananya Mandal, the association between the hippocampus and Alzheimer's Disease is that the neurons located in the hippocampus are suggested to be the first cells to be damaged in the way of the disease (Mandal). It is unknown at what point in time that neuron cells begin to degenerate. Nevertheless, when neurons do deteriorate within the brain, the occurrence of plaque and tangles - abnormal proteins - begin to appear as a result of a weakening in the connection between neurons. According to information gathered by Richard Mayeux, a Professor of Neurology at Columbia University ...
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... the progression of Alzheimer's Disease.
Works Cited
Alzheimer's Association. (2014). 2014 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Retrieved
March 23,2014, from http://www.alz.org/downloads/Facts_Figures_2013.pdf
Alzheimer's Disease International. (ADI). (n.d.). Research. Retrieved March 23, 2014, from http://www.alz.co.uk/adi-research Berger, P. (Alz. Weekly). (2013, December 4). Alzheimer's & Dementia Weekly: 7 Stages of
Alzheimer's. [Web blog post]. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.alzheimersweekly.com/2013/01/7-stages-of-alzheimers.html Mandal, A. (n.d.). Hippocampus - What is the Hippocampus? Retrieved March 10, 2014, from http://www.news-medical.net/health/Hippocampus-What-is-the-Hippocampus.aspx
Mayeux, R. (2007, March). Alzheimer’s Disease — The Dana Guide. Retrieved
March 25, 2014, from http://www.dana.org/Publications/GuideDetails.aspx?id=49989
The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning signs of Alzheimer’s can be beneficial to both the patient and his family. Finally, once the patient has been diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s, a plan for treatment as well as providing the family and caregivers with a support system can help ease those involved through a very challenging, heartbreaking time.
Alzheimer’s disease, named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, is a disease that is on the rise in America and the rest of the world. People should learn as much as they want about this disease, because as you age, your chances of becoming an Alzheimer’s Disease, or AD, patient increases. It is estimated that approximately 3 percent of Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have the illness, and more than half of all people over age 85 have the ailment.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects cognitive function in the elderly population. The exact cause of the disease is unknown but may include genetic as well as environmental factors. A progression of specific neurological changes allows the progression of the disease. Short-term memory losses along with dementia are typical symptoms of the disease. A definite diagnosis of the disease currently can only be confirmed by an autopsy. The disease progresses in five stages that will vary with every patient. There is no current acceptable treatment to reverse or stop the progression of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia affecting the older population. Symptoms are more noticeable over time due to the severity of the stages worsening. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It accounts for fifty to eighty percent of dementia cases. Contrary to belief Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging. Different parts of the brain are affected causing multiple symptoms sometimes not diagnosed until later stages in the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease or AD is an incurable disorder of the brain that results in loss of normal brain structure and function. In an AD brain, normal brain tissue is slowly replaced by structures called plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The plaques represent a naturally occurring sticky protein called beta amyloid and in an Alzheimer’s brain, sufferer’s tend to accumulate too much of this protein. Neurofibrillary tangles represent collapsed tau proteins which, in a normal brain along with microtubules, form a skeleton that maintains the shape of the nerve cells. In Alzheimer’s disease, the tau proteins break loose from their normal location and form tangles. Without the support of these molecules, nerve cells collapse and die. As normal brain structure is lost with progression of the disease, brain function also degenerates. Patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease display a gradual mental decline. Initially, and most apparently, there is a loss of short-term memory. Eventually, as a patient progresses to later stages of the disease, the brain becomes so damaged that patients can no longer communicate or recognize immediate family or even themselves. They have difficulty walking and standing and frequently fall. In the final stages, they lose bladder and bowel control and have difficulty with swallowing, frequently leaving them malnourished and dehydrated. Eventually, they are forced to remain bedridden and, without the help of life-prolonging measures provided in a hospital, die. However, this level of deterioration is severe and may take as long as twenty years. Because of the disease’s slow progress and its usual later start in a person’s life, a victim of AD will usually die first of natural causes. Under the objectives ...
Alzheimer’s disease comes from the last name of a neuro-psychiatrist from Germany, Alois Alzheimer. The disease was first diagnosed when a woman in her early fifties began experience memory problems. “Alzheimer recounted the now famous case of ‘Auguste D.’ a 51-year-old housewife who had been failing mentally for several years. As a result she had been admitted to his care in the Asylum for the Insane and Epileptic…” (Maurer and Maurer 1). After her death, he continued to examine her brain to find causes and explanations for her behavior. He discovered “…classic neuro-pathological signs of plaques and tangles” (Maurer and Maurer 1). “Plaques are chains of amino acids that are pieces of the amyloid precursor protein…tangles are aggregates of the protein tau” (Secko 1). As plaques develop they produce tangles and “these two abnormalities ultimately lead to loss of cognitive function” (Secko 1) Alois Alzheimer’s research has allowed many specialist to conclude that the apolipoproetein E gene may contribute to the disease.
Every era has its disease; the one debilitating killer that each individual grows up to fear and detest more than War or poverty or depression. In the sixteenth century the Black Plague swept Europe, and later Syphilis destroyed much of the New World. More recently Polio was what each mother feared would over take her child. However, each of these diseases had its own time and place, and each has all but disappeared by cure or public awareness. Unfortunately, as each disease passes away a new killer moves up through the ranks to strike fear in humanity, young and old. Currently, the United Statesí population is aging, with people over eighty-five becoming the nations fastest growing age group">(2).It should come as no surprise that the disease of the new millennium should be a disease of the elderly: Alzheimerís Disease. Effecting half the Americans over the age of eighty Alzheimerís Disease has left its victims in a world of confused dementia, and the rest of the world in a panic to find a cure">(2).
Alzheimer’s disease – The most common form of dementia, and is a disease that attacks the neurons and nerve cells of the brain, consequently causing memory loss (short-term and progressing to long-term), cognitive processes, communication, and behavioural changes.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia which is a brain disorder that impairs mental functioning. Dementia attacks the part of the brain which controls memory, language, and thought. It makes everyday tasks like remembering to brushing your teeth, or to pay your bills next to impossible to do, which is why so many people who are diagnosed with this disease are in complete care. This disease has different phases, the first being slight forgetfulness and then the persons emotions may heighten as well as language impairment, violent outbursts, loss of bladder control and from there it keeps getting worse until complete dysfunction of the brain occurs and eventually death, which most of the time is the result of infection.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, “a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (Shenk 14)”. Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, make judgments, communicate, and accomplish daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or aggravation, as well as illusions or hallucinations.
Scientists know that Alzheimer disease is characterized by a gradual spread of sticky plaques and clumps of tangled fibers that disrupt the organization of nerve cells in the brain. However , a definite cause, prevention, or cause has not been found.
Alzheimer’s is a genetic disorder, which means the DNA is that individual is messed up. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or older aged people, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility. This disease was discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, in Frankfurt, Germany. Dr. Alzheimer was examining the brain tissue of a woman who had recently passed and noticed that the tissue was changing. He also went over and examined the symptoms that this woman had that lead to her death, he came to conclusion and discovered a new disease now called Alzheimer’s Disease named after himself. Alzheimer’s is ranked as the sixth most leading cause of death
Alois Alzheimer, presented a case history of a woman who suffered from a rare brain disorder. The autopsy of her brain identified plaques and tangles. These plaques and tangles work together to break down the brain’s structure. Today, the disease can be characterized by these plaques and tangles. Plaques arise when another protein in the fatty membrane surrounding nerve cells gets sliced up by a particular enzyme. This results in the formation of Beta-Amyloid Proteins, which are sticky and have a tendency to clump together. This clumping is what creates what we know as plaques. These clumps block signaling and communication between cells and also triggers immune reactions that cause the destruction of disabled nerve cells. In Alzheimer’s Disease, neurofibrillary tangles are built from a protein known as tau. The brains nerve cells contain a network of tube-like structures that act as a highway for food molecules among other things. Usually, the tau protein ensures that these tubes are straight, allowing molecules to pass through freely. However in Alzheimer’s Disease, the protein collapses into twisted strands or tangles making the tubes disintegrate, obstructing nutrients from reaching the nerve cell and leading to cell death. The destructive pairing of plaques and tangles starts in a region of the brain called the hippocampus. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive and degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's neurons resulting in loss of things such as memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes. Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability. Alzheimer's is the most common type of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a broad term that describes a wide range of symptoms associated with a decline in memory or other thinking skills severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer's disease accounts for
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system. The brain becomes inflamed and the cells of the brain being to undergo apoptosis, or cell death. As of now there is no permanent fix or cure for this disease. It is extremely debilitating to the people it affects and is always eventually fatal. These are all reasons to do everything we can to find a cure or any preventative measure to defend the body against this disease.
My research paper is about Alzheimer’s. “Alzheimer’s is a common form of dementia, that is believed to be caused by changes in the brain, usually beginning in the late middle ages, characterized by memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability, and progressive loss of mental ability.”("The Definition of Alzheimer's Disease") I chose to do Alzheimer’s because my grandma was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and was moved to an Alzheimer’s care unit in Fairbury, Nebraska. Some of the symptoms she suffers from are repeating her sentences, forgetting where she left things, and sometimes forgetting how to play some of her favorite games. Luckily my grandma has not forgotten our names. In my opinion, the saddest part of Alzheimer’s is when the