Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that causes a person to lose their memory, and their ability to function normally in a day to day life. This horrible disease credits for up to 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases (Medical and Scientific Advisory Council). Although most patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s are around the age of 65 and older, younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease occurs in roughly 200,000 Americans below the age of 65 (Medical and Scientific Advisory Council). Alzheimer’s is a disease that tragically causes an individual to lose their memory, commonly forgetting their loved ones and can cause one’s personality to drastically change. Sadly, this disease only worsens over time, lacking a cure. The symptoms, causes, and complications

of Alzheimer’s disease are extensive and as of today there is no definite cure, making it extremely difficult for a person and their family to cope with.
The symptoms of Alzheimer’s continually worsen over a time (Mayo Clinic Staff).

Memory loss that causes an individual to no longer capably function on their own is one of the main symptoms in Alzheimer’s (Mayo Clinic Staff). People with this disease often repeat themselves continuously, forget important conversations and events, misplace objects in absurd areas, get lost easily in familiar surroundings, forget the names of the one’s closest to them and commonly known objects, and have a difficult time participating in conversations due to their inability to think clearly (Mayo Clinic Staff). People suffering from this disease may experience depression, apathy, social withdrawal, mood swings, distrust, irritability or aggressiveness, changes in sleeping patterns, wandering, loss of inhibitions, and delusions. (Mayo Clinic

Staff).
While the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are easily determined, the causes of this disease are not as easily explained. Alzheimer’s is believed to be caused by genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors combined, affecting the brain over time. (Mayo Clinic Staff). Researchers have made great progress with the study of Alzheimer’s in the last 20 years. (Medical and Scientific Advisory Council). Alzheimer’s leads the shrinking of the brain because of the significant loss of brain cells (Mayo Clinic Staff). There are two types of abnormalities that are associated with Alzheimer’s; plaques and tangles (Mayo Clinic Staff). Plaques are clumps of protein called beta-amyloid that damage and destroy brain cells (Mayo Clinic Staff). Tangles occur when threads of tau protein changes into abnormal twists within in the brain which prevents the transport system in the brain from carrying nutrients and other essentials through the brains long extensions, also causing the death of brain cells (Mayo Clinic Staff).
Due to the symptoms and causes of Alzheimer’s there are many complications when trying to treat an individual with this disease.

The loss of a person’s memory and the inability to think rationally on one’s own makes treatment even more difficult. People with Alzheimer’s often cannot tell a doctor or caretaker when they are in pain, they are unaware when they are becoming ill with another type of sickness, have difficulties following a treatment plan due to forgetfulness, and typically fail to notice the side effects of their medications (Mayo Clinic Staff). In its final stages Alzheimer’s begins to affect a person physically just as much as it has mentally. Effects such as aspiration, pneumonia, loss of balance, fractures, bedsores, and malnutrition or dehydration strongly increase the susceptibility of a person with Alzheimer’s, frequently leading to more health problems. (Mayo Clinic

Staff).
Alzheimer’s is a disease that changes a person entirely by causing them to lose their memories, undergo a drastic change in personality, and eventually takes away one’s physical abilities. This disease not only affects the person who falls victim, but the family and friends of the person too. When a family member or friend falls victim to this disease they are lost before they are really gone. This disease can affect a person and their family very deeply, and often people must use counseling to help them through the process of taking care of someone with this disease. Although the symptoms, causes, and complications are immense, this disease that lacks a definite cure causes a tremendous amount of pain and grief among everyone affected.