Alzheimer’s is most likely formed by other symptoms called dementia. Dementia is not an actual disease, but has a vast range of symptoms which are precursors to many types of diseases. When dementia is detected in an individual their memory tends to decline and it becomes a hassle to complete everyday duties. When diagnosing individuals there are a series of steps taken in order to see if the individual progressed to dementia and also which disease caused those symptoms to take effect. These stages are preclinical, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Within the preclinical stage there are three sub-stages that deal with protein, plaque buildup in the brain called beta-amyloid. The symptoms for this stage are undetectable. Stage two is the MCI stage, which contain more visible symptoms such as deterioration of thinking abilities. Stage three is dementia. The symptoms for this stage are more severe and researchers use biomarkers (biochemical trackers) to detect the disease. There have been questions on whether individuals diagnosed with MCI are more likely to stop at dementia or progress towards Alzheimer’s disease. There have been a couple of experiments pertaining to this question, however people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) tend to pass the third stage, which is dementia and progress towards Alzheimer’s. When a person is diagnosed with a certain health problem, it doesn’t come within a matter of seconds, it happens within a steady process. First there are symptoms which most people ignore until diagnosis, then after a couple of years of ignoring the symptoms that person is diagnosed. Minor symptoms could start with slight memory loss that could result in, for example, misplacing car keys and forgett... ... middle of paper ... ...the individuals mental abilities start to slow down. Lastly, stage three dealt with dementia. Within this stage the cognitive functions start shutting down. Researchers diagnose individuals with this stage and test whether they have progressed into Alzheimer’s disease. The detection of Alzheimer’s disease is easier for the researchers to detect because the symptoms are noticeable and their cognitive and behavior changes for the worst. These individuals start having mood swings and obsessive compulsion disorder and unacceptable social behavior. Referring back to the BMC Neurology research experiment, it showed that 54 individuals were diagnosed with Dementia and 50 individuals progressed to Alzheimer’s disease. This concludes that people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) tend to pass the third stage, which is dementia and progress towards Alzheimer’s.
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 can be diagnosed before age 65, although rare, and is caused by a mutation in 3 known genes. About 5 percent of those who are under 65 and possess the ailment have AD in their family history. Given that the symptoms of AD are caused by plaque in the brain, causing loss of nerve cells that help the body communicate with the brain, mutations to these genes; amyloid precursor protein, presenilin 1, and presenilin 2 cause a excessive production of certain proteins (primarily a B-42 form of amyloid protein), and therefore spark an excessive growth of plaque cells which are toxic to the neurons of the brain. For those cases of Alzheimer’s that occur after age 65, a genetic mutation has yet to be proven, although some may be linked, to the fact that a difference may cause an increased chance of developing the ailment. Whatever the case may be for patients over 65 years old, the disease and its symptoms are caused by neurofibrillary tangles of almyloid plaques. It is impossible for someone to test positive for Alzheimer’s Disease, because the only way to determine an affirmative case i...
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.
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 disease was first postulated by the Bavarian psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer in 1906, however very little was known about the illness (Selkoe). Today, it is well documented that Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of the mental disorder known as dementia. Furthermore, dementia affects an estimated 25 million people in the world (Dalvi). The National Institute of Aging, under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines Alzheimer’s disease as “an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.” Alzheimer’s disease, like most diseases, has levels of severity and get worse of the course of time. In early or “mild” stage of Alzheimer’s disease, the person might start exhibiting issues that could include “wandering and getting lost, trouble handling money and paying bills, repeating questions, taking...
In the modern age scientists and researchers are constantly discovering new diseases and disorders that affect the human body. With technology improving and new equipment being introduced it enables scientists to gain more knowledge about the disorders than ever before. During the last century a German physician by the name of Alois Alzheimer linked a patient’s memory loss to her brain autopsy which displayed signs of brain shrinkage. His discovery is now known today as Alzheimer’s disease; which is a form of dementia and is a psychological disease that causes the brain to deteriorate. In today’s day and age, there are still many unanswered questions about Alzheimer’s disease (Crider, A., Goethals, G., Kavanough, R., & Solomon, P. 1989). A few known facts are that Alzheimer’s disease is it is most commonly found in elderly humans, with majority of carriers being age 60 or older. It is important to note that Alzheimer’s disease is not an old person’s disease and that it can also be found in adults of younger ages. Furthermore, there are two forms of Alzheimer’s disease. The two forms are called Early-onset which is found in adults ages 30-59 and Late-Onset which is more common and occurs in adults ages 60 and up. Alzheimer’s disease may not be curable, however with the right information it can be easy to conquer (Alzheimer and Dementia Resources).
Memory is the retention of information over time and it changes through our lifespan, from infancy through adulthood (Santrock 218). There are two types of memory, explicit and implicit.
Alzheimer's affects people in different ways, each person will experience symptoms or progress through Alzheimer's stages differently.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, “a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (Shenk 14)”. Alzheimer’s is a progressive and irreversible brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, make judgments, communicate, and accomplish daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or aggravation, as well as illusions or hallucinations.
Alzheimer’s disease was discovered in 1906 by German physician Alois Alzheimer. While studying the biopsy of the brain of a fifty-five year old woman who had suffered some type of severe dementia, he noticed some aberrations in her brain structure. The brain appeared shrunken, with enlarged crevasses in the gray matter. Over a century later, we now know that Alzheimer’s is caused by a mixture of chemical and cellular brain abnormalities and the breaking down of cells in the mind. Most of the defects occur in the cerebral cortex, which is the outer gray matter of the brain and the center of most human-like brain functions like memory, language, and thought.
However, for over 5,000,000 million people, that was not the case (Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia | Alzheimer's Association.) Once diagnosed, people have several options and risk to consider concerning their own physical, mental, and emotional health. At the present time, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are various treatments and clinical trials in which people can become involved. In most cases, non-drug treatments are utilized following diagnoses. Non-drug treatments vary from environmental changes, to monitoring comfort levels, to ensuring a person has adequate rest on a regular basis. The purpose of non-drug treatments is to develop habits while dealing with the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease so one will be better prepared when symptoms intensify as the connections within the brain begin to deteriorate. The deterioration of connections in the brain often leave a person with behavioral problems as well. Behavioral problems range from sleep-disturbances, to aggression, and to emotional distress on a regular basis, and even hallucinations and delusions. In order to handle behavioral changes effectively, it is important for a person with Alzheimer's disease to have a support network, such as family, that can help with coping and adjustments as needed. The next step to consider after diagnoses and non-drug treatments
This is called the preclinical Alzheimer's disease which can last for many years for a person. You will not be able to notice any changes nor will those around you. The only way that you will be able to identify Alzheimer's at this stage is with imaging technology. By being able to identify this early could help with new treatments that are being discovered with
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s will vary depending on the stage of the disease. These symptoms include loss of language, depression, insomnia, delusions, illusions, hallucinations; physical, mental, and emotional outbursts. People with Alzheimer’s also have a hard time with daily activities and start to behave different than normal. . There are four different stages of Alzheimer’s; not all patients will experience all stages and some may be worse than others. ‘Stage one typically last one to three years, and the patient doesn’t really have an awareness of the disease. Some typical behavior at this stage are personality changes, forgetfulness, and social withdraw. Stage two will last between two and ten years. Patients will have profound memory loss, violent outbursts, loss of motor skills and language. Stage three is usually the last stage identified and lasts eight to twelve years. Patients cannot perform basic daily activities will have severe impairment to all cognitive functions, and inability to recognize family members. On rare occasions a very severe stage four is identified. This stage is characterized by loss of all abilities and loss of one’s self.’ All of these symptoms can be related back to a lack of acethycoline, and damage to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. (Forsyth & Ritzline,
Dementia can be defined as a clinical syndrome that leads to progressive neurological deterioration. The patient usually presents with impairment in various cognitive abilities such as memory, language, decision making, visual spatial function, orientation and attention. Apart from cognitive impairment, patients also show signs and symptoms of impairment in personality, emotions and social behaviour. Collectively, person experience interference in work, social activities, and relationships as well as inability to perform routine activities such as driving, housekeeping, cooking among others (Kolorev 2014).
Alzheimer’s Disease is formed in the brain but yet, has no known cure or treatment. Alzheimer’s Disease has many symptoms. Memory is the biggest symptom along with mood swings and having a hard time with keeping a conversation. A patient with Alzheimer’s goes through 7 stages; The first stage, which is misplacing things or forgetting what something is used for, second stage, they start losing more of their memory and they begin to forget where they are or what they are doing, the third, fourth and fifth begin to mentally decline and need someone to take care of them and worsen over time.The sixth stage they begin to have an even more difficult time going to the bathroom and cleaning themselves or using electronic devices such as phones or televisions. The final stage, at which the long goodbye comes to an end, they now are mentally and physically gone. Some doctors prescribe medication to the patients to help deal with some of the symptoms.