Alzheimer's Disease

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Alzheimer's Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in today's society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day which slow down, and may even halt the progress of the disease.

In explaining this debilitating disease, it seems there are certain major areas that need to be addressed such as the history of the disease, the symptoms and diagnosis, as well as the emotional and physical cost to the patient and to the family. The definition of the illness seems to be unclear for many because the disease is so unpredictable. Until recently a precise definition of the disease was unavailable due to the difficulty in diagnosis. It is fairly complex, and despite many new breakthroughs it still remains impossible to diagnose a patient with certainty. A great deal of this is because the only exact diagnosis made is after a post-mortem brain examination. Alzheimer's Disease is the most overdiagnosed and misdiagnosed mental disorder in older adults because it is often decided only by ruling out all other possibilities such as dementias caused by medications, strokes, depression and other neurological disorders.

However with new research in detection and prevention, a clear explication is now attainable for the public. Alzheimer's Disease is defined as "A dementing disorder marked by certain brain changes, regardless of the age of onset, that leads to the loss...

... middle of paper ...

...eases-and-Disorders/Nervous-System-Diseases/

Central-Nervous-System-Diseases/Brain-Diseases/Alzheimer's Disease.html

11. http://moe.csa.com/alzintro.html

Sources:

Text

Advances In Alzheimer's Research Spring 2004, Vol.1, Number 1

Hager, Mary and Peyser, Marc, "Battling Alzheimer's", Newsweek, March 24, 2004, p.66

Websites

1. http://www.kcc.com.msu.edu/CAI/Pathology/Degen_F/Degen_2a.html

Date visited: March 28, 2009

2. gopher://gopher.nimh.hih.gov/00/documents/nimh/other/alzh

Date visited: March 25, 2009

3. http://www.cais.com/adear/nianews11.html

Date visited: March 28, 2009

4. tornado.einet.net:8000/galaxy/medicine/Diseases-and-

Disorders/Nervous-System-Diseases/Central-Nervous-System-Diseases/Brain-Diseases/Alzheimer's

Disease.html

Date visited: March 28. 2009

5. http://moe.csa.com/alzintro.html

Date visited: April 30, 2009

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