Alzheimers Disease

Memory loss, like old age is a condition which mankind has always

reluctantly recognized and always – with resignation. Memory loses are sometimes

trivial and meaningless and go unrecognized. However, when these loses are so

great that a person does not know who or where they are the concerns are quite

grave. Although it is realize that Alzheimer's disease destroys the brain memory

function, many do not realize precisely how the memory is destroyed once one is

aware of the process, it becomes faster to work forward to alleviate the

destruction.

"Without memory there is no knowledge to recreate or reproduce past

perceptions, emotions, thoughts and actions that are so vital to live a full and

functioning life. Memory is the key that unlocks doors that keep us functioning,

not only mentally but physically (Corrick 32)."

"Memory loss is not a sign of decay (Freedman 10)." As we get older,

there is some mild impairment in our recollection of recent events, such as

forgetting why one went into a room or misplacing a person's eye glasses, which

even young are guilty of doing. As reported by Larry Squire, "forgetting is

quite normal and usually develops in the third decade of life, and by one

estimate 85 percent of the healthy elderly – those over 65—suffer some memory

impairment (59)."

According to Dr. Seligmann, "forgetting is the process through which

information in memory becomes inaccessible, either because it is stored but is

not at that time retrievable (51)." This is one of the most important factors in

forgetting. Memory loss is rapid at first and then gradually levels off. There

are many types of "dismembering" enemies that hamper ones recall and retrieval

system. "Forgetting may be increased by interference from proactive inhibition,

that is material learned beforehand, like trying to remember a soup recipe

(51)."

In remembering stories or events there is a tendency for distortions to

occur. Cutler explains that studies made by Elizabeth Loftus reveal, "what you

learn today may actually distort your memory of what happened to you yesterday. .

. (62)." People tend to remember the events that they regard as the most

important. They attempt to reconstruct the event, usually what knowledge they

have, with the result being what would have been expected rather than what

actually happened.

Dr. Siegfried ...

... middle of paper ...

...sease of the brain

(Parke- Davis 6)." "Deficiency of cortical acetylcholine is believed to account

for clinical manifestation of mild to moderate dementia (Cognex 3)."

Cognex is the only drug of choice presently used for treatment of

Alzheimer's patients. "Cognex presumably acts by elevating acetylcholine

concentration in cerebral cortex by slowing the degradation which is released by

enact chelinergic neurons (Cognex 3)."

Approximately "5,600 patients were on clinical trails about 17% were

improved with memories. . ." and " 40% stayed the same no change and about 20%

had been "withdrawn" with adverse reaction (Cognex 4)."

In conclusion, when is memory loss, whether it is great or small, it

takes away the ability to recreate or reproduce to some extent our emotions,

past experiences, thoughts and actions that we take for granted. It gives us far

more then we give it. The mind needs knowledge to keep us functioning and in

return will perform amazing feats for us. Although the cause of Alzheimer's

diseases unknown care, research is ongoing, worldwide. "There is no evidence

that Cognex alters the course of the underlying demeaning process (Cognex 3)."