Cracking The Alzheimer's Code By Linda Marsa

1074 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: A brief history of Alzheimer's disease

The article “Cracking the Alzheimer’s code” by Linda Marsa discusses the history, discoveries and advancements for Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery of Alzheimer’s disease was revealed through a German physician named Alois Alzheimer. Alzheimer first discovered Alzheimer’s in the year 1901 while he was interviewing a mentally Ill patient named Auguste Dexter. The beginning of his discovery was due to the fact that Dexter was exhibiting uncontrollable behaviors that included jealously, screaming, confusion and paranoia. After Dexter had passed away, Alzheimer saw this as an opportunity to examine her brain under a microscope in thin pieces. To Alzheimer’s surprise, he discovered two abnormal substances on brain slices that were called amyloid …show more content…

To find the culprit to stop tau proteins and amyloid peptides to function improperly, scientists realized that studying brains at an earlier age when they are alive would be best in their search to find a cure. Studying living brain tissue would introduce a lot more discoveries that dead brain tissue would not offer. Techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) and position emission tomography (PETs) are actually not as helpful in studying living brain tissue because they can provide up to a millimeter of focus on the brain but that would not be adequate to find the formation of the plaques and tangles which need more concentration to about a tenth of a milliliter. But there are new tools like the multi-photon confocal microscope that is better and more precise in looking at brain activity. Also the approval of Amyvid by the FDA has allowed for easier visuals on PET scans because its purpose is to dye the amyloid proteins that could not be seen in regular PET scans. From these astounding innovations, scientists are close to developing genetic tests that could determine the risk of an individual developing Alzheimer’s

Show More
Related

  • Still Alice by Lisa Genova

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Escape Through Dementia in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    1044 Words  | 3 Pages

    Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper" is an excellent story on several levels. It works as a suspenseful thriller about the effects of mental illness. It also serves to make several points about feminism and the pervailing attitudes of her time.

    Read More

  • Alanna Shaikh´s How Am I Preparing to get Alzheimer

    1636 Words  | 4 Pages

    Alzheimer’s disease is unfortunately one of the most common diseases amongst people that are coming of age. Alanna Shaikh, a global health and development specialist, discusses the growing disease in her Ted Talk: “How I’m preparing to get Alzheimer’s.” (Ted.com) She discusses her experience watching her father’s memory deteriorate as a result of his Alzheimer’s disease. she addresses the fact that most people are not prepared for Alzheimer’s because of their denial. She confesses, “the big numbers of people who get it, [dementia] frighten us. And, because of that fear, we do one of two things. We go into denial, or we decide that we are going to prevent dementia. I’m looking for a third way.” (Alanna Shaikh, ‘How I’m Preparing to get Alzheimer’s’) This leads to the main idea: We can continue life after Alzheimers through these certain techniques and through correct preparation. Alanna then describes the different activities that she is doing to prepare herself for this disease, rather than possessing denial, and still falling victim to it. There are many different ways to prepare for Alzheimers. Living with this disease involves mostly muscle memory. Therefore, performing activities that enhance muscle memory can assist you in preparation. (http://www.alzfdn.org) This involves perfecting many different hands-on tasks to generate the memory. Also, another way of preparation would be to attach certain memories to the senses, specifically sounds, smells, and tastes. Some of the major physical side effects of Alzheimers to prepare for, are muscle tremors, loss of mobility, and loss of balance. (http://www.alzfdn.org) One should improve their sense of balance, allowing control over the body when infected with Alzheimer’s. Lastly, to p...

    Read More

  • alzheimers

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...he fact that scientists can use it to understand what causes tangles and plaques in the brain of the patient and to discover new treatment drugs (Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 2005).

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Speech Outline

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Medline Plus also suggest that studies show that early discovery may be possible, but more study is needed before methods can be relied upon to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in everyday medical practice.

    Read More

  • Alzheimers Disease

    1096 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Social Work with Dementia Patients

    1782 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first case of dementia was discovered in 1906 by a German physiatrist Alois Alzheimer. It was first observed in a female patient and she was forty-one years old her name was Auguste D. Dr. Alzheimer observed a decline in the patient’s cognitive abilities. She lost her memory, she exhibited behavioral issues, and she suffered from hallucinations, lost the ability to comprehend language, disorientation and lost her speech. After Augusta’s passing Dr. Alzheimer preformed an autopsy that showed the classic triangles and knots we associate today with Alzheimer. Those triangles and knots are a proteins and plaque. The brain is self looked smaller and had distinct characteristics. Still with modern medicine the only way to diagnose a person with Alzheimer is after their death with an autopsy. (THE ALZHEIMER'S PROJECT, 2014).

    Read More

  • Dementia: How to Help a Loved One

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 17th and the 19th century dementia was synonymous with insanity. Still many knew that people with this disease suffered from permanent damage that was irreversible unlike mental disorders where the brain remains intact (2006). Dementia was often known as senile which is common with old age. Studies through the years have shown that it is much more serious and causes damage to areas of the brain. Alois Alzheimer in 1910 noticed tangles, plaques, and arterio...

    Read More

  • Alzheimers Disease

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alzheimer’s disease comes from the last name of a neuro-psychiatrist from Germany, Alois Alzheimer. The disease was first diagnosed when a woman in her early fifties began experience memory problems. “Alzheimer recounted the now famous case of ‘Auguste D.’ a 51-year-old housewife who had been failing mentally for several years. As a result she had been admitted to his care in the Asylum for the Insane and Epileptic…” (Maurer and Maurer 1). After her death, he continued to examine her brain to find causes and explanations for her behavior. He discovered “…classic neuro-pathological signs of plaques and tangles” (Maurer and Maurer 1). “Plaques are chains of amino acids that are pieces of the amyloid precursor protein…tangles are aggregates of the protein tau” (Secko 1). As plaques develop they produce tangles and “these two abnormalities ultimately lead to loss of cognitive function” (Secko 1) Alois Alzheimer’s research has allowed many specialist to conclude that the apolipoproetein E gene may contribute to the disease.

    Read More

  • Alzheimers Disease

    942 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Alzheimers Disease

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Alzheimer's Disease Essay

    1896 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Alzheimer’s Disease

    1523 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1906, a German physician named Dr. Alois Alzheimer dealt with a patient that had been battling severe memory and confusion problems and had tremendous difficulty understanding questions and basic functions. Alzheimer suspected that the ailment had more to it than inherent memory loss. During an autopsy of the brain, he discovered that there were deposits of neuritic plaques surrounding the nerve cells and twisted fibers, known as neurofibrillary tangles, inside of the nerve cells. These observations became the definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The plaques and tangles that develop are a natural part of aging; however, they develop far more aggressively in Alzheimer’s victims. The plaques and tangles then block communication among nerve cells and disrupt the cells processes, eventually killing them. This destruction causes memory failure, personality changes, and problems carrying out everyday functions. Alzheimer’s especially attacks the memory. A victim in the later stage of the disease can...

    Read More

  • Alzheimer’s Disease

    2552 Words  | 6 Pages

    There is no quick and easy way to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. In fact a diagnosis can only be conclusively arrived at following autopsy of the ...

    Read More

  • Essay On Alzheimer's Disease

    1302 Words  | 3 Pages

    Alzheimer’s Disease is named after a German doctor, who specializes in the brain and nervous system, named Alois Alzheimer. This Disease forms in the brain. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of Dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to enter. The Tau protein ensures the tubes in your brain stay straight allowing molecules to pass through freely. In Alzheimer’s Disease the protein collapses into strands or tangles, making the tubes disintegrate. There is visible differences of brain tissue in the from misfolded proteins called plaques and tangles. Beta-Amyloid clumps block signals and communication between cells in the brain. Researchers agree that Alzheimer’s Disease is m...

    Read More

More about Cracking The Alzheimer's Code By Linda Marsa

Open Document