The Disease Of Alzheimer 's Disease

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Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive disorder characterized by progressive loss of the memory and physical function in humans. It is the most common cause of loss of memory especially in old age. The Alzheimer 's disease onset is slow with symptoms appearing as early as 10 years before the full diagnosis. This condition derived its name from the scientist who first described it, Alois Alzheimer. Alois Alzheimer was a pathologist of German descent who also practiced psychiatric medicine. He described the condition first in the year 1906. The disease commonly affects people of the age over 65 years though it may set in earlier due to genetic risk factors (Stern, 2012).
Causes
The degeneration of brain cells known as neurons is the main cause of the loss of the brain memory function. The neurons are responsible for the transmission of impulses in the brain. The transmission of impulses is through the help of chemicals known as neurotransmitters produced by the neurons. When the neurons degenerate and eventually die in Alzheimer 's disease, the transmission of information in the brain ceases. The hippocampus is the part of the human brain that is responsible for memory. In patients suffering from Alzheimer 's disease, the neurons in this part degenerate leading to the loss of the brain function (Stern, 2012). The cerebral cortex plays a role in language and in the association. The Alzheimer 's disease destroys the neurons in this region too leading to the loss of their function and culminating in the ensuing symptoms characteristic of the disease.
Scientists attribute the degeneration of the neurons in the brain to apoptosis. Apoptosis is programmed cell death. A myriad of natural and artificial factors initiate the premat...

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... and scrabble is an efficient way of being mentally fit to prevent the onset of the Alzheimer 's disease.
For those already suffering from the Alzheimer 's disease, therapeutic and pharmaceutical interventions can help the patients to live a quality life (Citron, 2010). Therapeutic measures include support groups for people with the Alzheimer 's disease, provision of day care facilities for those in the advanced stages. This ensures that the can live a quality life regardless of the cognitive impairment. Support and care from the family is essential to ensure that the dementia patients do not harm themselves. Drugs used to manage the Alzheimer 's disease are mainly of the class of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors. These include Donepezil and Memantine HCl that help manage symptoms in the mild and advanced stages of the Alzheimer’s disease (Howard et al, 2012).

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