Alzheimer’s disease Holly Salyards Cincinnati State Technical & Community College Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease which slowly destroys thinking and memory skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day to day life. This irreversible disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst the elderly, with an appearance of first symptoms after age 60. In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, noticed some changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms were comprised of memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After her death, Dr. Alzheimer examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (neurofibrillary tangles). The aforementioned plaques and tangles in the brain are considered two of the primary features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third feature is the loss of connections between nerve cells or neurons in the brain. There is currently no cure for this traumatic disease, but current Alzheimer’s disease medications and management strategies may temporarily improve symptoms. This can sometimes help people with Alzheimer’s disease maximize function and maintain independence. There is still no known fact on how the Alzheimer’s disease process begins. They seem to think that the damage to the brain starts a decade or more before problems become evident. During the preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease, people are asymptomatic, but unfortunately there are toxic changes taking place in the brain. Abnormal deposits of proteins form amyloid plaques and tau tangles throughout the brain, causing the once-healthy neurons to work less efficiently. Over time, neurons lose the ... ... middle of paper ... ...ww.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_4719.asp (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/topics/causes (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/topics/treatment (n.d.). Retrieved from website: http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet (n.d.). Retrieved from website: https://www.alz.org/advocacy/2006program/1.asp (n.d.). Retrieved from website: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_facts_and_figures.asp Anonymous. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/topics/alzheimers-basics http://inserbia.info/today/2013/06/alzheimers-disease-cause-found/ http://www.alz.org/downloads/Facts_Figures_2014.pdf http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/basics/tests-diagnosis/com-20023871 What is alzheimers?. Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
While at the present time little is known about the causes of Alzheimer’s and there is no existence of a cure, current research combined with the latest in technology is hopeful for a breakthrough. Not only are new drugs being developed, but also the possibility of vaccines are on the horizon. Keeping up with the latest clinical trials, findings and treatment options can be a challenge, but doing so can arm patients and caregivers with a powerful tool. Only through education and progress in research can this deadly disease become extinct.
Alzheimer is a dementia type of disease named after Dr. Alois alzheimer that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills,and eventually , the ability to do simple things, or recognize their family. The first case occurred in the 1906 when a woman died on a unusual mental illness. After she died Dr.Alois examined her brain , amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary. Alzheimer’s is in older people the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is a loss of remembering ,thinking and reasoning skills, that intervenes with your daily life and activities. It is very common in people over sixty years of age. People younger than sixty years can also
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.
There are no current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers are constantly looking for new and advanced treatments to alter the course. Any breakthrough in progress will ensure the improvement of the quality of life of people with dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.
There are three different abnormalities that can make up Alzheimer’s disease. The first abnormality is beta-amyloid peptide cut from APP, a membrane precursor protein (Marieb and Hoehn 2013). Too much beta-amyloid is toxic and causes plaque buildup between neurons that reduces levels of acetylcholine which makes is difficult to retrieve old memories and make new ones (Marieb and Hoehn 2013). Another abnormality of Alzheimer’s disease is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles inside the neuron. These tangles consist of tau, a protein that leaves its stabilizing role and binds to another tau molecule forming a neurofibrillary tangle. (Marieb and Hoehn 2013). Neurofibrillary tangles then kill the neuron. The final abnormality of Alzheimer’s disease is brain shrinkage. The brain shrink...
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 ...
Alzheimer disease is a condition that causes the nerve cells in the brain to degenerate and the brain matter to shrink. It affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. It can only be diagnosed by a histopathologic examination, to check for the presence of tangles and plaques, which are primary causes of Alzheimer's. Neurofibrillary tangles are bundles of twisted fibers that accumulate in the cell bodies of neurons. Neuritic plaques are round or oval lesions consisting of an amyloid protein core surrounded by fragments of damaged neurons. These types of lesions occur in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, the regions of the brain which control such higher intellectual functions as memory, thinking, reasoning and sensory perception.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the leading causes of death in America and there are currently more than five million people living with the disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). What may be most troubling about these numbers is the fact that Alzheimer’s disease has no current cure. Alzheimer’s disease is a neurocognitive disorder and a common form of dementia that will affects a person’s memory, way of thinking and their behavior (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). AD typically develops slowly and the more time a person has the disease the worse the symptoms will become. AD in its later stages becomes so severe that people with the disease cannot even do simple daily tasks. Although there is no cure there are still ways to prevent, delay, and possibly treat the disease.
Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and this terminal, progressive brain disorder has no known cause or cure. Its greatest known risk factor is increasing age which is why is it is infamous for developing in the elderly, typically in ages 65 or over, however for the 5%(1) that develop Alzheimer’s in their 40s or 50s it is known as early Alzheimer’s. Because Alzheimer’s worsens over time, those with it tend to struggle with completing daily tasks especially elderly people. Given that there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, the treatments available slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. It is not known what causes Alzheimer's, however, those with Alzheimer's have been found to have abnormal amounts of protein (amyloid plaques) and fibres.(The amyloid plaques and fibres are found in regions of the brain where problem solving and thinking take place e.g The cerebrum.) Due to the unusual amounts of amyloid plaques and fibres, it reduces the effectiveness of healthy neurons and eventually, destroying them.
Closer – In closing, Alzheimer’s disease has proven to be a very complicated and stressful disease. There is no cure and it is often difficult to diagnose. AD cannot yet be stopped or reversed, an early diagnosis can allow a person the opportunity to live well with the disease for as long as possible.
Alzheimer’s disease got its name from the German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, he noticed that there were abnormal clumps and bundles of fibers i...
This disease causes memory loss, difficulty in thinking processes, mood swings, depression, hallucinations, personality changes, and the inability to create new memories. Alzheimer’s disease is most common in people who are at the age of sixty years or older, but it can start as early as the age of nineteen. It can be categorized as a type of dementia. “Scientists believe Alzheimer’s disease prevents parts of a cell’s factory from running well” (Alzheimer’s Disease: The basics). Scientist believe that one cause of Alzheimer’s could be caused by plaques and tangles. Plaques are the build up of a protein called beta-amyloid in the nerve cells. Tangles are twisted fibers of the tau protein that build up inside of a cell. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s has not yet been determined, but scientists have reason to believe that it is because these plaques and tangles are blocking the communication of cells in the nervous system. Another probable cause is a mutation on the chromosomal genes 21, 14, and 1. This is why it is believed to be a genetically inherited
A myth about Alzheimer disease says that nothing can be done about the disease. This is not true. Much can be done to assist the person with Alzheimer’s disease to maintain the highest possible level of functioning as long as possible and in providing the highest quality of life.
Doctors and researchers are confident that there will soon be a treatment for Alzheimer's. There have been millions who have died or who have progressed too far in their disease. The symptoms` of Alzheimer’s Disease are very hard for the sufferer to deal with. They do not want to rely on a family member to take care of themselves because something is wrong with them. Alzheimer's is a very complex disease. This why scientists have still not found any cure for it. People with Alzheimer's suffer for almost twenty to twenty five years before their death.The worse thing about this disease is the patient does not even remember their family or friends. They also do not release what the actual meaning of life is by the time they die. People suffering from Alzheimer's are emotionally dead long before the physically die.