Alzheimer 's Disease : A Progressive Deterioration Of Neurons

In times past many people thought that memory loss was a normal occurrence for elderly people. This thinking was major reason for why Alzheimer’s disease was not caught until very later in the stages. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. After heart disease, cancer, and strokes, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of death in adults in the Western world. “It is estimated that 4.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected with this condition. After the age of 65, the incidence of the disease doubles every five years and, by age 85, it will affect nearly half of the population” (Robinson).

Alzheimer 's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain from which there is no recovery. There are three brain abnormalities that are the hallmarks of the Alzheimer’s disease is initially caused by plaques buildup in the brain’s neurons as illustrated in figure 1. The support structure that allows the flow of the nutrients through the neurons gets damaged and ultimately there is loss of connection among the neurons and they die off (National Institute of Health, 2015). This causes the brain tissue to shrinks, which is called atrophies. All this ultimately lead the victim of this disease to face difficulties in governing emotions, recognize errors and patterns, coordinate movement, and remember. Ultimately, a person with AD loses all memory and mental functioning.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 8 (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory (Beattie, 2002). Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death, affecting more than five million people in the United States and is also one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia can be defined as a disorder of progressive cognitive impairment severe enough to affect daily functions of an individual’s life (Fillit, et al., 2002).

Alzheimer’s disease is the progressive loss of memory and mental functions. The disease affects memory, thought control, language, and other cognitive functions. The disease typically appears with old age and is often found age 60. Alzheimer’s causes the brain to develop clumps and tangles fibers in the brain tissue along with the loss of neuron connections. Throughout the brain, proteins are abnormally distributed and they form tangled bundles of fibers and amyloid plaques. Some neurons fail to function properly and lose their connections, which are necessary for the transmission of messages to the body. The hippocampus is the key brain structure in the formation of memories and often experiences the first signs of damage.

Alzheimer's, the word strikes fear in some and an off-handed glance in others. The fact still remains that Alzheimer’s is an extremely shattering disease that removes the mind fraction by fraction over a period of time, this could even take decades. It begins as small memory lapses, slowly progressing to memory breaches but then progressively eroding your life to the point where around-the-clock care is the only option. With severe Alzheimer's, as we almost hear daily that patients have wandered off and gotten lost. In my own life, my grandfather was not even able to recognize his family members. Alzheimer's was a little known disease before 1960, but today it threatens to completely derail the health system in the United States.

Alzheimer 's is a slow and debilitating disease that generates multiple problems with cognitive skills including; memory, thinking and behavior. (MedlinePlus, 2015) It is especially painful for friends and family members who see their loved ones progressively lose their memory and ability to function as they normally have. Symptoms typically develop gradually and progressively get worse over time, becoming severe enough to put the person afflicted with the disease unable to complete daily tasks and placing themselves at risk. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Alzheimer’s is the most common diagnosed condition of dementia. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases are designated as Alzheimer’s. (MedlinePlus, 2015) Although the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age, it is not considered a normal part of aging. The majority of those diagnosed with Alzheimer 's are approximately sixty-five and older. However, Alzheimer’s is not just a disease affected by the older age populations. About 5 percent of people with Alzheimer’s experience early symptoms and the onset Alzheimer 's and most often appears in their forties or fifties. As stated above, Dementia or Alzheimer’s symptoms gradually worsen over time. In the early stages, it is common to experience mild memory loss. Eventually, the ability to carry on a conversation is lost. The sixth leading cause of death in the United States is Alzheimer’s. After Alzheimer’s symptoms become publicly

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal form of dementia, frequently seen in the elderly altering their cognition, thought process and behavior. AD is reported in about half of patients that have a dementia diagnosis; one study states that about 10.3% of the population over 65 years is affected by dementia with an increase to almost 50% over the age of 85. (Beattie, 2002) Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process in humans, but rather found in a group of diseases that affect the brain leading to a decline in mental and physical control. AD when diagnosed has a very slow and gradual course, initially affecting the individual’s short term memory. (Beattie, 2002)

Alzheimer 's disease is a progressive deterioration of cognitive function sufficient to cause functional disability (Hannaman, Mitchell, Cross, 2011). It is the most common cause of dementia after age 60 with initial signs reflective of hippocampal dysfunction, with poor immediate recall and short-term memory. "As the disease progresses, visuospatial dysfunction (including with directions and geographic disorientation), due to parietal lobe involvement, and executive dysfunction (including difficulty initiating and completing tasks, reduced spontaneity, and apathy). due to frontal dysfunction typically appear" (Hannaman, Mitchell, Cross, 2011, p. 11-6). Median survival rate is 3 years because of

Alzheimer 's disease which chronically leads to Senile Dementia, is a horrific change in homeostasis for human beings. The most obvious change in homeostasis from Alzheimer 's is loss of memory. Memory loss can vary from short term to long term. Alzheimer 's disease has been occurring in humans for a long time. This is a disease that affects different body systems, and interrupts homeostasis to a significant point. As Alzheimer 's disease is further investigated, there are more discoveries with how it is caused, what it affects, and how to reduce the risk of developing it. Alzheimer 's disease is a frightening disease that is represented in humans. There are many concerns with this disease that are worth finding out for the future victims

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. “Its onset is generally insidious, with gradual deterioration of cognitive function, eventually resulting death.” (Falvo, D. 2009, pg. 226). Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia among people age 65 and older. “Nearly 70 percentages of all dementias are Alzheimer’s, and over 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.”(www.alz.org). This disease is not just a disease that happens to older people, but there is a small percentage that can also affect those in their 30s.

According to Lu and Bludau, Alzheimer’s influences many aspects such as the organ system, tissue, cells, and organelles. The organ system affected is the brain, which performs numerous crucial tasks. This disease impinges on the control center for all bodily functions. The vital body function that the disease affects in the brain consist of: thinking, seeing, hearing, breathing, and body movements. It hinders storing and making of memories and hinders the aptitude to feel emotions.

Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, behavior and other intellectual abilities significant enough to impede with a person’s daily life. Alzheimer's is not a typical part of aging, despite the most known leading factor is increased age. Most people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older, however, up to five percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's, which most often appears in a person in their 40s or 50s. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease which means that the symptoms of this certain disease gradually get more severe over time. In the early stages of this disease, memory loss is pretty mild, but in the late stages of Alzheimer's, individuals lose the capability to

Alzheimer 's disease is a form of dementia generally known for afflicting memory loss. An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from this disease (NIH, 2014). It is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s is common among the elderly, yet surprisingly, two-thirds of the people affected are women. While two thirds affected are women, they are also more likely to be from an African-American or Hispanic descent. Alzheimer 's disease is present in 60 to 80 percent of dementia patients (Mayo Clinic, 2015). A symptom of Alzheimer 's is difficulty remembering newly obtained information. As time passes, Alzheimer’s symptoms worsen and there is no cure; there are research studies and experimental treatments available. An estimated $226

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 is a progressive brain disorder characterized by problems with memory, reasoning, behavior and motor skills. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and its symptoms develop slowly and get worse over time ("Alzheimer's Disease | AD | MedlinePlus," 2014). In Alzheimer’s disease, a patient’s brain cells begin to degenerate and eventually die, causing a severe decline in memory and mental function; making it nearly impossible for a patient to perform daily tasks. Although the causes of Alzheimer’s are not fully known, scientists believe that it is “caused by a combination of genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors that damage the brain over time” (Mayo Clinic Staff , 2015).