A Disease That Is Common On Age 60 Or Older

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that accounts for sixty to seventy percent of Dementia cases. It is characterized by the development of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the loss of connection between neurons in the brain and the death of nerve cells. There are two types of Alzheimer’s Early on-set Alzheimer’s which occur from the ages of thirty to sixty is very rare and makes up less than five percent of the cases of Alzheimer’s . The second type is Late on-set Alzheimer’s which is the most common type and it is found in those of ages sixty and up. The progression of Alzheimer’s is a lengthy progress from the time of diagnosis the average life expectancy is three to nine years. In the early stages people have difficulty with short term memory loss as the disease progresses symptoms include difficulties with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, loss of self-care and behavioral issues. As Alzheimer’s progresses a person slowly withdraws from family life and society due to the jumbled state of their memory. On a physical level the body’s physical function slowly degenerates and eventually leads to death.

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia. The term 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms, which can include memory loss, changes in mood and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when certain diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, damage the brain. Alzheimer's disease could be described as a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop

Alzheimer's disease, first described by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, is a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People

Alzheimer’s: Scientists know that during Alzheimer’s two abnormal proteins build in the brain. They form clumps called either ‘plaques’ or ‘tangles’. These plaques and tangles interfere with how brain cells work and communicate with each other. The plaques are usually first seen in the area of the brain that makes new memories. A lot of research is focused on finding ways to stop these proteins in their tracks and protect brain cells from harm.

A common observation in the brain of people who have died from Alzheimer’s is that plaques and tangles make from protein fragments are present. (A Century of Alzheimer’s Disease)

In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer saw differences in the brain of a woman that passed away from a bizarre illness in the brain. Before she died she experienced loss of memory, had trouble speaking, and unpredictable behavior. When Dr. Alois Alzheimer examined her brain after death, he noticed that there were abnormal clumps, which are now known as amyloid plaques, and tangled bundles of fibers known as neurofibrillary tangles. While symptoms start to appear after the age of 60, up to 5.1 million Americans may have the disease today.

Alzheimer's disease is a brain deteriorating disease. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is a term used to categorize memory loss and other intellectual abilities that affect the quality of life. There is no true reason why people acquire Alzheimer's but there are many things that can lead a patient to contract it. Alzheimer's disease may occur when there is a loss of neurons and when beta plaques form on the outside of neurons. This can interfere with the commutation of neurons which give the brain ability to coordinate with the human body. Scientists believe that people with Alzheimer's disease have acquired the disease from a combination of their genes, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over

Alzheimer¡¦s disease is a slow, progressive, and degenerative disease of the brain. This disease is marked by a gradual loss of memory and other cognitive functions. "Alzheimer's Disease is also known as the most common cause of dementia--a general term referring to the loss of memory and the ability to think, reason, function, and behave properly" (Medina,1999). It primarily affects adults in their 60's or older and eventually destroys a person's ability to perform simple, routine tasks or even to care for themselves. Statistics show that "as many as 10 percent of all people 65 years of age and older have Alzheimer's," and that approximately "50 percent of all people 85 or older also have the

Alzheimer's disease is an incurable disease of the nervous system. Most often occurs in older people and is characterized by the destruction of brain cells. In brain tissue formation of neurofibrillary tangles and neuritic plaques. This degenerative disease is the most common form of senile dementia.

Alzheimer’s is a disease which effects the brain, memory and behavioral aspects of everyday life. It is the most common form of dementia which accounts for over two thirds of cases which are recorded. The disease was first recorded by German Doctor Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was first named by Emil Kraepelin when he mentioned It in his book “Psychiatrie” which was released in 1910. Alois first discovered Alzheimer’s disease when he noticed shrinking in the cortex of the brain and abnormal deposits of nerve cells through an autopsy on Auguste Deter.

The research into Alzheimer's Disease has come a long way since 1906 when it is was discovered by Alois Alzheimer. He detected microscopic brain tissue changes called senile and neuritic plaques in deceased patients. These are chemical deposits consisting of protein molecules called Amyloid Precursor Protein(APP) that are fundamental components of a normal brain. However in the brain of an Alzheimer patient, an enzyme cuts the APP apart and leaves fragments in the brain tissue. These combined with degenerating nerve cells cause the plaques or lesions. These lesions are found in many sections of the brain including the hippocampus which regulates emotion and memory, the basal forebrain, and especially the basal nucleus of Meynert and the cortex, where the memory function is located.(2) Another sign of a diseased brain are neurofibrillary tangles, which are malformations within nerve cells.

Alzheimer’s disease is a very slowly progressive disease that occurs inside the brain in which is characterized by damage of memory. Also this type of disease can lead into interruption in language, problem solving, planning and perception. The chance of a person developing Alzheimer’s disease increases enormously after the age of 70 (Crystal, 2009). Also people who are over the age of 85 have over a 50 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease. This type of disease is not at all normal in the aging process and is also not something that happens out of no where in a person’s life.

Alzheimer’s disease is a condition that destroys the connections between cells in the brain. Eventually the cells will die. It causes the cells a hard time to communicate with the body and to be able to function right. Even though the inheritance of Alzheimer’s is still unknown it still has genetic mutation which is a permanent change in a gene that can be passed down to children.

The pathophysiology, how the disease affects the body, is important when trying to understand Alzheimer’s. Damage to the brain in someone with Alzheimer’s starts around a decade before memory problems appear (NIH). Damage to the brain is symptom free during this period, but toxic changes are occurring in the brain. Alzheimer’s is mainly characterized by plaques and tangles in the brain that form from abnormal deposits of proteins (NIH). Plaques form when beta-amyloid, protein pieces, clump together (alz.org). Beta amyloid is chemically sticky and slowly accumulates between nerve cells and eventually forms plaques (NIH). These plaques block cell to cell signaling at the synapses (alz.org). In a normal and healthy brain, the brain is organized

While scientists are still working on understanding the details of Alzheimer’s, they do know that the disease involves the build up of plaque and tangles in between neurons that interfere with cell signaling and cause the death of these cells. Plaques are made of a protein called beta amyloid, which is a