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Causes and treatment for Alzheimer's
Causes and treatment for Alzheimer's
Effects of Alzheimer's on the patient
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Alzheimer's disease (EA) is the most common dementia in the elderly. During the disease are developed "plaques" and "balls" in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells and consequent atrophy. It usually has an approximate mean duration of 10-12 years, although this can vary greatly from one patient to another. We too know that individuals with Alzheimer's have a lack of some chemicals in the brain. These substances are responsible for transmitting messages inside the brain. And a progressive disease, which means that more parts of the brain will be damaged gradually. As this happens, the symptoms begin to become more severe.
People in the early stage of Alzheimer's disease may experience forgetfulness and have trouble
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.
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.
Alzheimer’s disease or AD is an incurable disorder of the brain that results in loss of normal brain structure and function. In an AD brain, normal brain tissue is slowly replaced by structures called plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The plaques represent a naturally occurring sticky protein called beta amyloid and in an Alzheimer’s brain, sufferer’s tend to accumulate too much of this protein. Neurofibrillary tangles represent collapsed tau proteins which, in a normal brain along with microtubules, form a skeleton that maintains the shape of the nerve cells. In Alzheimer’s disease, the tau proteins break loose from their normal location and form tangles. Without the support of these molecules, nerve cells collapse and die. As normal brain structure is lost with progression of the disease, brain function also degenerates. Patients afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease display a gradual mental decline. Initially, and most apparently, there is a loss of short-term memory. Eventually, as a patient progresses to later stages of the disease, the brain becomes so damaged that patients can no longer communicate or recognize immediate family or even themselves. They have difficulty walking and standing and frequently fall. In the final stages, they lose bladder and bowel control and have difficulty with swallowing, frequently leaving them malnourished and dehydrated. Eventually, they are forced to remain bedridden and, without the help of life-prolonging measures provided in a hospital, die. However, this level of deterioration is severe and may take as long as twenty years. Because of the disease’s slow progress and its usual later start in a person’s life, a victim of AD will usually die first of natural causes. Under the objectives ...
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...
Alzheimer’s is a disease that many people have heard of, but few really know much about. Imagine not being able to remember your loved ones and friends or even how to do simple tasks like dressing yourself and brushing your hair. Now imagine having to dress your mother, who rarely remembers you anymore. This is the reality of life for millions of older people afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease and the families that care for them. Alzheimer’s causes cognitive function to decrease gradually overtime. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia - affecting around 5 million Americans (alz.org). It is the most fatal disease affecting older people and needs to be taken seriously.
Cummings, Jeffrey L., Cole, Greg. “Alzheimer Disease.” Journal of the American Medical Association. May 2002: 287-18. Health Source. EBSCOhost. Utica College Lib. 15 Apr 2005. .
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.
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).
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.
Alzheimer's disease is a disorder marked by a gradual decline brain function that gets worse with time. It used to be assumed that this change was a normal part of aging we called senility. Several people grow this illness when they become the age of 40 ("Biomarkers Key to Future of Alzheimer's Diagnosis, 2010"). However, the disease is most common in persons over the age of 65. It is predictable about 10 percent of people over 65 years of age may have Alzheimer's disease and that in persons over the age of 85; up to 50 percent may be affected ("Risk Factors", n.d.). Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of the aging process. It is not contagious,...
1. What is the difference between a. and a. Throughout this line of study, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific form of dementia. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability that is severe enough to hinder daily life. Memory loss is a symptom of dementia, and the most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s. One of the most common and severe symptoms of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering newly learned information.
Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that attacks and destroys brain nerve cells or neurons eventually killing the cells. It is the most common form of dementia (around 50-60% of all cases of dementia). it affects 1 in 20 people over the age of 65 and 1 in 1000 people under the age of 65. Although it affects more people over the age of 65 it doesn’t mean that age is the cause of the disease. Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease suffer from memory loss, thinking difficulty, loss of language skills and changes in behaviour. No one is immune to this disease. Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr Alois Alzheimer’s. In 1906 he noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who died from an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included loss of memory, language problems and unpredictable behaviour. After her death he examined her brain and found abnormal protein fragments called plagues and tangles. These protein fragments are the two major features of Alzheimer’s disease. The third is the loss of connection between nerve cells and the brain.
My participants ranged from the ages 60 to 65 (I was not allowed to get the exact age of the participants due to an agreement I made). The participants consisted of four males and three females. They still had the ability solve certain mental task like a puzzle. Two of the female participants had progressed so far in dementia that they needed assistance to solve the puzzle. All the male participants were able to solve the puzzle without any kind of assistance. They were all able to walk without the assistance of a cane or a walker. There were one skinny, one average, and five fat participants. The male participants either had or were starting to develop bald head and only one female participant had gray hair. There were six white patients and one African American patient who participated in the activity.
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...
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common chronic neurodegenerative disease and is one of the leading causes of deaths in the United States. (11) Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia, is a disease that affects the memory, behavior, and thinking of the brain. As time goes by the disease gets increasingly worse, starting off with a slight symptom of short-term memory loss. This is why Alzheimer’s disease is most frequently found among older people, usually in their mid-60s. Since Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease brought on by apoptosis in the brain. Researchers have found that Alzheimer’s disease mostly affects the brain with misfolded peptides called amyloid-beta peptides. (12) The amyloid-beta peptides show up in the brain in