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Effects of Alzheimer's on the patient
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As rare as it is to get Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Alice Howland was among the 5% diagnosed with it. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior”. Clearly, that is what Alice had and was noticeable throughout the movie. If someone were to compare two characters in the movie, could they not compare Alice at the beginning of her diagnosis and at the end of it? When looking back at Alice in the beginning of the movie one can see her colorful and smart personality shine through, whereas at the end of the movie it is evident that she can no longer remember words or dress herself, which clearly shows her transition between two completely different …show more content…
She then made a video for herself explaining that when she can no longer answer the following questions in her phone: “what is the month of her birthday, what is her oldest daughters name, and what street does she live on,” she will need to follow these instructions. Her plan was to swallow a bottle of sleeping pills, lie down, and not tell anyone. While watching the “old” Alice on the screen give the “new” Alice advice the differences are clear. The “old” Alice was still wearing vibrant and warm colors, and for the most part she still had her memory and mindset together. The “new” Alice does not wear much color anymore, kind of sulks around which is understandable considering her state, and she doesn’t really smile or look happy anymore either. When looking at the two different Alices the changes are …show more content…
Although Alice claimed she liked stress and it kept her motivated, could it be one of the causes to having this disease? As she slowly lost recent memories, she often reminisced on those with her mother and sister who died in a car accident. Maybe she did not fully grieve their loss enough or accept it, which added on stress, not to mention the other stress from teaching, lecturing, writing books, and maintaining a household. So could this be the reason she got the “rare genetic form of early-onset
Lisa Genova, the author of Still Alice, a heartbreaking book about a 50-year-old woman's sudden diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology and holds a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is a member of the Dementia Advocacy, Support Network International and Dementia USA and is an online columnist for the National Alzheimer's Association. Genova's work with Alzheimer's patients has given her an understanding of the disorder and its affect not only on the patient, but on their friends and family as well (Simon and Schuster, n.d.).
This theory views the family as a system containing interrelated and interacting parts. Whether something is affecting a family member positively or negatively, all family members are affected by these factors (Mitrani,Feaster, McCabe, Czaja, Szapocznik, 2004). In this case, the Howland family must cope with the vast changes in the cognitive function of their mother Alice. Throughout the film, we see how the impact of Alzheimer’s disease affects the family as a whole. Lydia who lives in California must move back home so that she can take care of her mother while her father is away at his new job. This is an example of how Alice’s Alzheimer’s diagnoses does not only affect her, but also affects Lydia’s life. Another example of how the disease affects the family system is when John and Alice are about to go for a run; Alice advises John that first she must use the bathroom before they part. Sadly Alice does not remember where the bathroom is in the house and she urinates in her
In the film, “The Alzheimer’s Project: The Memory loss tapes” there was an 87-year-old woman with Alzheimer disease named Bessie Knapmiller. It seems as Alzheimer runs in her family because her older sister has the same disease. Bessie sister is 93 years old and she has lost her entire memory. Bessie sister does not even remember their family members. However, Bessie stage of Alzheimer is not as bad as her sister, she still drives and still remembers people. At times, Bessie does forget others. Bessie went to take a memory test in May and few months later, when she returned she did not remember her doctor or him giving her the exam. When Bessie took her first memory test she could not remember the previous president before George Bush. She
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading neurodegenerative disease in elderly adults. It affects more than 30 million people in the world (1). There are a few major markers behind Alzheimer’s disease. These include amyloid β plaque, oxidative stress, and inflammation. A potential target for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease are the processes involved in the synthesis, transport, and function of retinoids.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that is on the rise among ageing populations worldwide. Alzheimer’s disease leads to the death of neurons in numerous areas of the brain, including the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, which are two areas of the brain correlated with memory. (5) According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease could rise from 5 million to 16 million in the United States and by 2050 the total worldwide is predicted to rise to 100 million. This could relentlessly strain health-care systems because the
In this day and age, it seems as though almost everyone has experience a loved one taken away form a very serious disease known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is unbelievably devastating for everyone affected by it. This disease is causing major economical problems such as less occupancy in the nursing homes, and hospitals due to the rising population of elderly men and women being diagnosed with it everyday. Because there is not yet a cure for this disease and the percent of the population being diagnosed keeps rapidly rising, more time and money needs to go towards Alzheimer’s research.
Alzhiemer’s disease is the most common form of dementia . It is a disease in which nerve cells in the brain die. As nerve cells die it’s difficult for the brain's signals to be transmitted properly. The death of the nerve cells occurs gradually over a period of years. The gradual loss of brain function seems to be due to two main forms of nerve damage, nerve cells develop tangles (neurofibrillary tangles) and protein deposits known as beta-amyloid plaques build up in the brain. The first sign of Alzheimers is memory impairment. Recent memory is lost first and as time goes on, attention is lost, simple calculations become impossible, and ordinary daily activities become difficult, and the patient feels bewildered and frustrated. Symptoms tend to worsen at night which is known as the sundown effect. Patients have dramatic mood swings such as outbursts of anger, bouts of fearfulness, and periods of lethargy. The patient becomes increasingly disoriented and because of disorientation they may wander off and become lost. Alzheimer’s also results in physical problems like an odd gait, or a loss of coordination. Over the course of time patients lose physical and communicative abilities entirely. Alzheimer's disease can run its course from onset to death in as few as four years, or it may play out over a period of as long as 20 years. On average people suffer with Alzheimer's disease for about nine years. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. One person out of eight age 65 and over has the disease.
tends to increase with age, but there is a big difference between normal forgetfulness and Alzheimer's disease. There are three things to know about Alzheimer's: the facts and figures, the seven stages, and the changes in the brain.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Alzheimer’s disease affects central nervous, neuromuscular, and digestive system. In the digestive system, swallowing difficulties are common for people who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. In the neuromuscular system, the ability to walk and maintain their posture in a chair is common for people with Alzheimer’s. In Alzheimer’s disease, the connections between brain cells and the brain cells themselves deteriorate and die, which causes a steady decline in memory and mental function. It is the most common cause for dementia, which is a brain disorder that results in the loss of intellectual and social skills. (Staff, 2013) It is severe enough to interfere with every day activities. It is important to seek support through counseling and maintain medical assistance through medication or any other form of aid. Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that should be considered a priority in order to be able to maintain a decent lifestyle.
Diabetes: stress can lead to insulin-dependent diabetes to people who are already predisposed to this type of diabetes. Stress also causes the immune system to destroy the insulin producing cells in the
Alzheimer's disease is ending the brains and lives of our country's people, stealing them from memory, the ability to reason, and affecting their emotions and behavior. Alzheimer's disease weakens the brain. The longer we live the greater the risk: one out of every two Americans aged 85 and older and one out of every 10 aged 65 and older are afflicted with the disease. It affects two groups: those with the disease and the loved ones who care for them. Alzheimer's diseases changes the way people view the world.
Everyday a new disease or treatment is being discovered. There are always many questions left unanswered and many answers that are still trying to be figured out. Doctors, along with medical treatment centers and every day people are trying to figure out what Alzheimer’s disease really is or what it is about. Alzheimer’s disease has many common symptoms and effects in both men and women. The common, but confused name for Alzheimer’s disease is Dementia. People commonly confuse these two names because of the effects or symptoms that relate back to the name. Not many people know exactly what Alzheimer’s disease is or what causes it. But there are significant warning signs that lead people to conclude that is it a sad uncontrollable disease.
Still Alice is a 2009 novel by Lisa Genova that outlines the challenges a woman faces after she is diagnosed with early-onset dementia. The book was adapted into a film of the same name in 2014. Alice Howland is the main character in the book. She is a Harvard cognitive psychology professor and also a world renowned linguistics expert. Her family is successful and comprises of Dr. John Howland who is a leading cancer researcher and three adult children.
The man to discover Alzheimer’s disease was Alois Alzheimer; he discovered it after a patient with an abnormal mental illness passed. Alzheimer’s, also known as AD, is named after Alois Alzheimer and is a continuing loss of brain function that affects thinking skills, such as forming or retrieving memories and judgment. I think that it took him so long to discover that it was a new disease because Alzheimer’s can be so subtle that only a drastic change in the view of the brain can show the outcome of the cells. This disease affects older people however it is not a normal part of aging. AD does not have a cure yet, scientists are however trying to find the root of the disease and control its destructive powers.
Absentmindedness, with questions having to be repeated, trouble following conversations, or remembering people's names, sound familiar? These are classic early stage symptoms of Alzheimer's.