Alzheimer's Disease
explanatory Essay
1242 words
Alzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, genetically linked illness. This disease was chosen for the topic of this essay under the consideration that in many families the illness can be incredibly tragic, passing down for generations without mercy. It is not rare to encounter families in which each member is afflicted with a form, mild or severe, of Alzheimer’s. The disease is a progressive brain disease which comes in two separate types: Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. These will be discussed in full later on in the paper. The symptoms of Alzheimer’s are extremely detrimental to the individual whom it affects, as the disease attacks the brain cells and their connections. As the illness progresses, many of the affected brain cells die. In the very beginning stages, many of the symptoms are mistakenly associated simply with the effects of ageing or stress. Issues such as attentiveness, abstract thinking, and mild memory loss which happens to be the most notable of these early symptoms, will all start to appear. As the disease progresses, patients will begin to have a difficulty with perception and execution of motions. Memory will begin to take a heavy toll on the patient at this point, becoming a prominent dilemma. Older memories or episodic memories (such as writing), do not take the brunt of these attacks, but rather newer memories are affected the most. Soon, issues with speech will begin to arise, as the patient’s vocabulary begins to become more and more limited and simplistic. Coordination and movement begin to become difficult task for the persons affected, but can ordinarily be accomplished at this point of the disease. In moderate cases, the deterioration of the mind will eventually ... ... middle of paper ... ...much to prepare themselves for the onslaught that is Alzheimer’s Disease. Works Cited "Alzheimer's Association - Alzheimer's & Dementia Risk Factors." Alzheimer's Association. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Fact Sheet." National Institute on Aging. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers." National Institute on Aging. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Alzheimer's Topics." National Institute on Aging. Web. 04 May 2012. . "Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation." Fisher Center Foundation. Web. 04 May 2012. .
In this essay, the author
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, genetically linked illness, which is incredibly tragic, passing down for generations without mercy.
- Explains that alzheimer's attacks the brain cells and their connections, causing attention, abstract thinking, and mild memory loss. memory takes a heavy toll on the patient at this point.
- Explains that the deterioration of the mind will eventually make the affected incapable of performing functions of daily living.
- Explains that in advanced stages, loss of speech entirely can occur, though emotional signals can still be cognitive and recognizable. at this point, the patient becomes bedridden and dependent on caregivers.
- Explains that early-onset alzheimer's disease is more rare than its counterpart. it is caused by a genetic mutation on chromosomes 21, 14 and 1.
- Explains that late-onset alzheimer's disease is expected to develop after the age of sixty. there is not a specific gene that determines the heredity of the disease but there are gene indications of risk factors.
- Explains that there is no cure for alzheimer's disease, so much of the funding towards this particular illness goes towards technologies which make better the comfort of those affected. five medications have been approved by the food ad drug administration to aid in the treatment of alzheimer’s disease.
- Explains that the treatment of alzheimer's is based solely on care giving for those with more severe cases. nursing homes are often the only option since the patient is incapable of caring for themselves.
- Recommends that people at risk stay active in intellectual and social activities such as chess. smokers and those with cardiovascular issues are at higher risk for alzheimer's, so it is best to lead a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
- Explains that alzheimers' disease is a genetically transferred disease which is incurable. the focus of research on this disease doesn't lay in the search for cure itself, but rather techniques which can make the lives of those affected more comfortable.
- Cites the alzheimer's association - alzheimer’s & dementia risk factors fact sheet from the national institute on aging.
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- Alzheimer’s Diseaseanalytical essayAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a disease of the future. With the growing aged population, this disease, which affects primarily the elderly, will become of increasing relevance to the medical profession. Also, the high frequency of Alzheimer’s, and the high cost in labor, money, and material of caring for its victims shall put considerable burden on the society as a whole. Here, however, these issues are not going to be debated. Instead the pathology of Alzheimer’s will be reviewed to the extent it is known today.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the hallmarks of alzheimer's brain, such as cerebral cortical atrophy, senile plaques, neurofibrillar tangles and granulovacuolar changes.
- Opines that alzheimer's disease will become a household topic unless preventative cure or treatment is found, and that euthanasia, nursing home care, the ethics of treatment and treating will likely become the overshadowing topics of health care.
- Argues that alzheimer's disease is a progressive disease that affects between 5 and 15 percent of people over 65.
- Explains the neurochemical aspects of alzheimer's disease, and the mechanisms of its pathogenesis.
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In this essay, the author
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is a cognitive disorder characterized by progressive loss of the memory and physical function in humans.
- Explains that the degeneration of neurons is the main cause of the loss of brain memory function. the hippocampus is responsible for memory and the cerebral cortex plays a role in language.
- Explains that alzheimer's disease affects the personality of the patient to a great extent.
- Explains that the diagnosis of alzheimer's disease is based on a compound psychiatric and physical assessment of the patient.
- Explains that the research on the cure of alzheimer's disease has not been successful in finding a drug that can reverse the brain degeneration that culminates into the disease.
1544 wordsRead More - Increase Support and Research on Alzheimer’s Diseaseexplanatory essayEven though Alzheimer’s disease can be vary from person to person, the results are generally the same. The symptoms start out subtle. As an elder starts to develop signs of Alzheimer’s disease, the symptoms can commonly be mistaken as “growing old”. Eventually, the symptoms become so severe, the primary affected are forced to seek help. In some cases it would be easier to spot if someone developed early-onset Alzheimer’s disease because they would be around the age of 50. In both circumstances, the disease strongly affects both the patients’ life, and their caretakers. The cause of the disease is unknown and scientists are still finding more about how it affects the brain. The disease does not just affect the memory of its victim; it also affects the personality, the person’s mood, sleeping and eating habits, and the physical state. Because so much is affected it is difficult to determine one single cause. Thence, if it seems impossible to find a cure, how would MgT be able t...
In this essay, the author
- Describes the alzheimer's brain plaques - alzheimer’s association.
- Explains that alzheimer's may be the third-leading cause of death. the advisory board company.
- Explains that elevation of brain magnesium prevents and reverses cognitive deficits and synaptic loss in alzheimer's disease mouse model.
- Summarizes uttara, bayani, ajay v. singh, paolo zamboni, and r.t mahajan's abstract.
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is a growing epidemic in the united states. it affects the brain, personality, mood, sleeping and eating habits, and physical state.
1314 wordsRead More - Alzheimers And Alzheimer's Diseaseexplanatory essaySo, as we can see here synaptic loss is not just age related and we can see this relationship through the evidence of the parts of the brains affected as well as a study that looks at an actual comparison of synapses. The comparison is between people with no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and early Alzheimer’s disease. Mild cognitive impairment is a type of impairment within the brain that can cause a slight but noticeable decline in cognitive abilities. These abilities include memory and thinking skills. These patients are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s and that is why they were also looked at in this research (Scheff, Price, Schmitt & Mufson, 2005). One of the major research findings that led to this study was that patients with Alzheimer’s disease seemed to have a loss of synaptic contacts in their neocortex and hippocampus. This loss of synaptic contacts demonstrates an association with cognitive ability and correlates strongly with dementia. It was unknown whether patients with mild cognitive impairment had significant synaptic loss compared to those with no cognitive impairment.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that synaptic loss is not just age-related, and a study that looks at an actual comparison of synapses shows that people with mild cognitive impairment are at higher risk of developing alzheimer's.
- Explains the longitudinal clinical pathological study of gaining in alzheimer's disease. the average age of the participants was 85 and the range was from 66 to 103.
- Explains that the number of synapses was measured with the electron microscope in the outer molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. the density was calculated using the stereological physical dissector technique.
637 wordsRead More - Alois Alzheimer's Diseasecomparative essayAlzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia that gradually causes problems with thinking skills, behavior ,and memory. The disease is irreversible and inevitably becomes severe enough to interfere with the victim’s ability to carry out simple daily tasks. In the early 1900’s, Dr. Alois Alzheimer recognized and stated changes in a deceased woman’s brain tissue as the result of “A peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex”[1]. Symptoms of the mental illness included language problems, unpredictable behavior ,and memory loss. After, the examination of her brain Alzheimer discovered key features of the disease. His findings abnormal clumps and tangled fiber bundles are now known as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary, or
In this essay, the author
- Explains alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia that causes problems with thinking skills, behavior, and memory. it is irreversible and inevitably becomes severe enough to interfere with the victim’s ability to perform simple daily tasks.
- Explains that the first symptoms of alzheimer's differ and solely depend upon the individual diagnosed. other common symptoms include difficulties in responding effectively to everyday problems, planning and performing different tasks, repeating statements and questions, forgetting conversations, misplacing possessions, and getting lost in familiar places.
- Estimates that of the estimated 5.5 million americans living with alzheimer's dementia in 2017, 5.3 million are age 65 and older, and approximately 200,000 individuals are under 65.
240 wordsRead More - Alzheimer's Diseaseexplanatory essayAlzheimer’s Disease “Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the elderly…” Based on the research found and the studies in progress Alzheimer’s can develop in multiple ways. Five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s and someone develops it every sixty-seven seconds. It is the sixth leading cause of death in America and the fourth in North Dakota. Since Alzheimer’s is such a big issue there are many research efforts that have made to shed light onto the disease.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that john hopkins researchers, scientists, and doctors have various theories and clinical trials in progress to help solve alzheimer's.
- Explains albert, marilyn s. biocard: predictors of cognitive decline among normal individuals.
- Describes the differences between miild cognitive impairment (mci) and dementia.
- Explains that memory training to attenuate the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment.
- Describes the national institute on aging's alzheimer’s disease fact sheet.
- Explains the roles of a-beta, tau, and synaptic loss in early ad.
- Explains the earlly markers of alzheimer's disease in blsa participants: structural and functional brain changes.
- Describes the benefits of carvedilol to slow the progression of alzheimer disease.
- Explains that van zijl, peter, imaging amyloid plaques with high field mri, 2004-2013.
- Explains that worley, paul, neuronal activity-dependent secretion of a-beta and immediate early genes.
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the elderly. it is the sixth leading cause of death in america and the fourth in north dakota.
- Explains that there are several theories on the cause of alzheimer's, such as a viral infection that slowly develops.
1060 wordsRead More - What is Alzheimer´s Disease?explanatory essayIntroduction Kevin Arnold, an actor from a TV series called The Wonder Years, once said, “Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, and the things you never wish to lose.” Everyone forgets something at least once in their lives. But it always starts out with the smallest things. Forgetting where you left your keys. You forget the neighbor’s name.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, are, and never wish to lose. forgetting things can be red flags for more sever medical conditions including alzheimer's disease and dementia.
- Defines alzheimer's disease as a condition that causes abnormal deterioration in the brain mainly affecting memory and other mental abilities during middle or old age.
- Explains that alzheimer's is the sixth-largest cause of death in the united states. it kills more than prostate cancer and breast cancer combined.
- Explains the ten early signs and symptoms of alzheimer's disease. many of the symptoms can be falsely thought to be ‘age-related’ concerns or indicators of stress.
- Explains the four biggest ways to prevent alzheimer's are diet and supplements, stress management, exercise, and medication.
- Opines that scientists haven't found a cure for alzheimer's because it is complex to understand. the saddest thing about the disease is that people suffering from it are emotionally dead long before they physically die.
- Explains that alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging and it worsens over time. researchers don't know exactly what triggers the onset of the disease and prophesy that it is the cause of many complex factors.
1137 wordsRead More - Alzheimer's Diseaseexplanatory essayAlzheimer's Disease Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906 was the first to described Alzheimer's disease (AD). Millions of people have been diagnosed with the disease ever since. Alzheimer's disease (pronounced Alz'-hi-merz) is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking and behavior. Frequently Asked Questions Does Alzheimer's disease occur in younger adults? Yes, though less frequently.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that attacks the brain and results in impaired memory, thinking, and behavior.
- Explains that alzheimer's can occur in people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. the early onset form of the disease that strikes younger people accounts for less than 10 percent of all reported cases and is considered quite rare.
- Opines that cases of alzheimer's in single-family families are rare, except in families with a history of early onset alzheimer’s.
- Explains that age and family history have been identified as potential risk factors for alzheimer's, but most agree the disease is likely caused by a variety of factors.
- Explains the common symptoms of alzheimer's disease, including memory loss, language problems, poor judgment, misplacing things, and personality changes.
662 wordsRead More - Testing for Alzheimer's Disease: The Genetic Risk Factorexplanatory essayAlzheimer’s is a disease that robs the person afflicted with it of their short term memory. The person will often remember something that happened thirty years ago but they rarely recognize their immediate surroundings. The Alzheimer’s Disease Education & Referral Center (ADEAR), a Service of the National Institute on Aging, states, “AD is an irreversible, progressive brain disease characterized by the development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the loss of connections between nerve cells in the brain, and the death of these nerves cells”(Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Fact Sheet, 2008). This terrible disease hinders an individual’s capacity to perform common everyday tasks and makes strangers out of their closest loved ones.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that advances in medical research and current findings may be able to pre-determine an individual’s probability of developing alzheimer's disease based on family history and medical testing.
- Explains alzheimer's is an irreversible, progressive brain disease characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the loss of connections between nerve cells in the brain, and the death of these nerves cells.
- Explains that there are two distinct types of alzheimer's disease and scientists have found genetic links in both types.
- Explains the current diagnostic tools used for patients who report memory-loss symptoms to their physicians are to obtain a detailed history of the patient.
- Explains that the autopsy of an alzheimer's disease brain reveals that there are abnormal structures called plaques and tangles that cause nerve cell damage in the brain.
- Explains that apolipoprotein e-e4 and tomm40 have been identified as risk genes for alzheimer's disease.
- States that the alzheimer's association held an international conference in honolulu, where 4,000 scientists from around the world discussed the latest advances in research on treatments, risk factors, and diagnosis for the health epidemic of the 21st century-alzheimer’s disease.
- Explains the benefits of being tested early if an individual believes that they are at risk of developing alzheimer's.
- Explains that a study published in the new england journal of medicine and conducted on adult children of alzheimer's patients revealed that being tested could "prime" subjects' awareness of their risk of the disease, artificially elevating levels of anxiety or depression.
- Opines that weighing the pros and cons of a family history of alzheimer's disease needs to be seriously approached especially if an individual has children.
- Explains that researchers from duke university, drug discovery institute publish newstudies and findings in the area of alzheimer disease.
- Explains that gordon, landa, roberts, cupples and green, r., disclose the genetic risk of alzheimer's disease.
- Explains that alzheimer's test to reshape annuities is not an option for everyone.
- Explains that the university of california - irvine discovers new alzheimer's gene.
1392 wordsRead More - Alzheimer's Case Studiesexplanatory essayAlzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys thinking skills, and memory. In most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning and behavioral abilities. Alzheimer’s is currently ranked as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, but recent estimates indicate that it may be the 3rd leading cause. Right behind Heart disease and Cancer. Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who the disease is named after, noticed changes in a woman’s brain tissue after she died of an unknown mental illness. In 1906, after she died, he examined many abnormal clumps, and tangled bundles of fibers. Another feature
In this essay, the author
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys thinking skills, and memory.
- Explains that memory problems are typically one of the first signs of alzheimer's, but damage to the brain starts as early as a decade before you notice symptoms.
- Explains that advances in brain imaging techniques allow researchers to see the development and spread of abnormal amyloid and tau proteins in the living brain, as well as changes of brain structure and function.
- Explains that alzheimer's disease is complex and it is unlikely that any one drug or other intervention can successfully treat it. researchers hope to develop therapies targeting specific genetic, molecular, and mechanisms so that the actual underlying cause can be stopped or prevented.
- Explains alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. it affects parts of the brain that control memory, language, and thought.
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