What is Alzheimer's? It is a disease that affects the central nervous system, digestive system, the neuromuscular system and is generally a disease that is chronic and incurable. 4.7 million people greater than the age of 65 live with the disease each and every day, which is approximately one tenth of the population for those over the age of 65. The most common questions are: what are the risk factors, which vary from person to person, whether or not there are signs and symptoms and has there been any testing and diagnosis on this disease. Well the first question usually asked by a vast majority of those in the age range for such a disease is am I at risk for Alzheimer's. First you need to know the risk factors involved when discussing Alzheimer's, which include but are not limited to your family history, your genetics and your age. With finding out family history you can generally eliminate most possibilities of having the disease or not. First you look at, "do my parents have Alzheimer's". If your answer to this question is yes then you will be more likely to develop the disease. With that comes the next deciding factor of having Alzheimer's, genetics. Genetics are broken up into two main categories, Risk genes and Deterministic genes. Risk genes raise the chances of developing a disease but do not guarantee that it is going to happen. The risk gene that influences this is called apolipoprotein (APOE-e4), and can be inherited from either parent. Now on the other hand, deterministic genes will directly cause the disease guaranteeing the recipient of those genes, development of the disorder. It has been found that there are variations that will directly cause Alzheimer's in certain genes, marking certain proteins, amyloid prec... ... middle of paper ... ... about doing this is by going off your sense of smell and how good it is on either side of your nose. However, people with other dementias, in comparison, may not have such impairment. So in summary you should be able to easily determine what Alzheimer's is and how you can go about supporting that determination. The family history, genetics and age of the patient will formulate the idea that you have the risk factors. Having a hard time taking in and remembering new information, realizing that you have impairments to reasoning and seeing changes in your personality and behavior will notify you of the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's. Finally, if you are concerned as to whether or not you have Alzheimer's you can go through testing and diagnosis. Who knows maybe one of these days even you yourself smelling peanut butter to find out if you indeed have Alzheimer's.
People who suffer from Dementia lose their ability to do a daily task. They are unable to do shopping, prepare meals, deal with bills and money. They can forget to lock the door, turn off the cooker or water. They may have difficulties with their mobility and coordination. Person who has a disability experiences this same problem.
Alzheimer’s disease is like many other diseases; early detection is best because deterioration of the brain cells can be delayed. (Greutzner, H) Alzheimer’s disease has a tremendous effect on the lives of those who live with the disease. Forgetfulness is just one of the symptoms that Alzheimer’s disease causes. Alzheimer’s disease ranks as the most common cause of dementia in the elderly population.
Alzheimer’s disease was first defined in 1906 by a German psychiatrist, Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. It is a progressive brain disorder in which the nerve cells in the brain gradually die off. It is estimated that 26 million people world-wide are afflicted by Alzheimer’s and of those, approximately 4.5 million live in the United States. It is said to be the seventh leading cause of death in the USA and the fifth leading cause of death for those over age 65. Seventeen percent of women and ten percent of men age 55 and older can expect to develop Alzheimer’s (apa.org, 2009). Researchers report that this disease is more prevalent in African Americans and Hispanics than in whites (Crandell, Crandell, and Zanden, 2009, p. 578).
“Dementia is the progressive deterioration in cognitive function - the ability to process thought” (Nordqvist, 2009, para. 1) and can be separated into two main categories: cortical and subcortical, physically speaking; for example, Alzheimer’s disease is a type of cordical dimentia, while Parkinson’s disease is classified as subcortical in nature. Many of the people suffering from these afflictions, which are usually middle-aged and older, appear to lose the ability to recall particular events, time of day, or in more advanced stages, the identity of their friends and family. Other symptoms of this condition have been reported as difficulty with speech, depression, balance issues and general disorientation.
performance that involves, but is not limited to, a loss in at least 2 of the
People with dementia may have problems with short-term memory, keeping track of their belongings, keeping up with plans, remembering appointments or travel dates. Many dementias are progressive. This means that symptoms start out slowly and gradually get worse with time. Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia are diagnosed based on careful medical history, a physical examination, laboratory tests, and the characteristic changes in thinking, day-to-day function and behavior related to each
Alzheimer’s is a result from a combination of factors that cause progressive brain deterioration that affects the memory and behavior of an individual. There are two known risk factors. The first risk factor is age. Alzheimer’s usually affects people older than 60, and rarely affects those younger than 40. The average age
Nerney, C. (2014, April). Dementia. Lecture conducted from Massachusetts’s College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia which is a brain disorder that impairs mental functioning. Dementia attacks the part of the brain which controls memory, language, and thought. It makes everyday tasks like remembering to brushing your teeth, or to pay your bills next to impossible to do, which is why so many people who are diagnosed with this disease are in complete care. This disease has different phases, the first being slight forgetfulness and then the persons emotions may heighten as well as language impairment, violent outbursts, loss of bladder control and from there it keeps getting worse until complete dysfunction of the brain occurs and eventually death, which most of the time is the result of infection.
Alzheimer's Disease Introduction to Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. It was first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915). in 1905. This disease worsens with advancing age, although there is no evidence. that it is caused by the aging process.
... and duration varies from person to person. It depends on multiple factors, including the age of diagnosis and other medical conditions. The signs and symptoms start with cognitive disturbance as all other forms of dementia begin. We should refrain from being prejudiced and judgmental because of not taking the time to truly understand this disorder and how it may affect one’s life. Education and patience are the best ways to tackle this issue. In this paper, relevant topics involving dementia were discussed. Part one covered the pathology and staging of dementia. Part two explained the most common types of dementia that many people are diagnosed with. Part three summarized the treatment methods used to manage the disorder. We should apply a professional, respectful, and empathic approach while maintaining specific culture traditions to achieve a successful outcome.
“…a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. Dementia symptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutrition. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates.”
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, accounting for approximately 60 to 80 percent of all cases. The disease slowly destroys connections in the brain via plaques, causing problems with memory, behavior, thinking and brain function. There is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, though treatments are available that can slow down its progression.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025.
The clinical picture in dementia is very similar to delirium, except for the course. Delirium is an acute transitory disorder. By contrast Dementia is a long term progressive disorder (with the exception of the reversible dementias). The course of AD can range anywhere from 1.5 to 15 years with an average of about 8.1 years (Terry , 1988). AD is usually divided into three stages mild, moderate, and severe. Throughout these stages a specific sequence of cognitive deterioration is observed (Lezak, 1993). The mild stage begins with memory, attention, speed dependent activities, and abstract reasoning dysfunction. Also mild language impairments begin to surface. In the moderate stage, language deficits such as aphasia and apraxia become prominent. Dysfluency, paraphasias, and bizzare word combinations are common midstage speech defects. In the severe stage the patient is gradually reduced to a vegetative state. Speech becomes nonfluent, repetitive, and largely non-communicative. Auditory comprehension is exceedingly limited, with many patients displaying partial or complete mutism. Late in the course of the disease many neuropsychological functions can no longer be measured. Also primitive reflexes such as grasp and suck emerge. Death usually results from a disease such as pneumonia which overwhelms the limited vegetative functions of the patient.