Alzheimer's Essay

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a form of degenerative, fatal dementia, is characterized by progressive cognitive decline. While AD is the most common form of dementia, its prevalence has only recently been recognized. When Alois Alzheimer first described the sequence of changes in 1907, physicians believed the disease to be an extremely rare, mid-life condition. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the same types of changes were shown to occur in both late- and early-onset forms (Cavanaugh et.al. 2008). As such, almost all knowledge of AD has been learned within the past several decades, with new discoveries being reported almost daily. It is now estimated that Alzheimer’s accounts for as many as 60% of all dementias and affects more than 500,000

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia that generally initiates the lost memory, problem of critical thinking and behavior problems for the elderly patients. It’s not a normal part of aging but the large number of elderly people reached 65 and older are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The most common early symptoms are struggle in remembering recent events or short term memory. As the disease advance more symptoms begin to show up like problems in speaking and language, disorientation like getting lost and cease to remember the present activity that they are supposed to do. Mood swings go from happy to sad for no reason. Not managing their self, personal hygiene

Certain qualities are consistently observed in the Alzheimer’s victim. These dysfunction’s, though, are not exclusive to Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, declaring Alzheimer’s by these parameters is a matter of degree rather than an absolute. Characteristic dysfunction’s have been noted in Alzheimer’s victims, but the degree and severity of these varies from patient to patient. Thus, evaluation of the patient’s mental status must be made based on the sum, rather than a single characteristic. Memory is one of the first noticed deficiencies, beginning typically with the recent and short term memory, and progressing from there as the disease grows more severe. In addition, deterioration in language skills, attention span, praxis (performance of an action), and visuospatial skills are commonly seen. Also observed are changes in the actions and personality of the Alzheimer’s victim. These include changes in mood, motor activities, activities of daily living, socialization skills, psychotic disturbances, vegetative symptomology, and rise in anxiety levels. Again, the

This paper reviews the use of cognitive rehabilitation treatment of early stage of dementia Alzheimer’s type. The case study examines a 72 year old male patient diagnosed with early stage dementia of Alzheimer’s Type. This study used visual imagery, as well as cues and expanding rehearsal during the cognitive rehabilitation. The evaluation of cognitive rehabilitation treatment included the psychological, physiological, neurological assessments and self-reports. Results

Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia, a disease that according to the Alzheimer's disease Education & Referral Center is defined as: “…a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function”. According to the National Institute on Aging in a book entitled “Alzheimer’s Disease, Unraveling the mystery” the authors chronicled that Alzheimer’s disease affect people in different ways. The most common and noticeable symptoms are: 1). Memory loss that disrupts daily life 2). Challenges in planning or solving problems

Alzheimer 's disease is a condition that affects the cognitive status of many people around the world regardless of wealth, ethnicity, intelligence or any other factor. A specific case study that demonstrates the destructive nature of the disease can be seen in the case of Akram. Akram was an 80-year-old female with a past medical history of hypertension, diverticulitis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and diabetes. She had a history of serious head injury at the age of 45 from an automobile accident, but she recovered well after some time in the hospital. She could remember childhood friends and family from 20+ years ago quite well. Her early symptoms were simple daily processes of life. She might put food in the oven to cook, but fail to turn it on after doing all the prep work. She also began to frequently misplace her keys and have trouble remembering where she put household items. She had been a very intelligent person with a lot of energy and had previously been involved in many volunteer projects she helped run. Her husband, mentioned that she had been having similar difficulties over the past two years. Driving was a big issue as well; she felt she could recall how, but still had trouble operating her vehicle. She also frequently got lost on routine trips, like to the grocery store. Additionally, she would forget whether she had eaten and had several extra meals in a day unless a helper or a

Due to the USPS officials returning 2117 Atkins drive Huntsville, Alabama 35810’s mail to senders, Property Owner Timberlake, files this mail fraud complaint against the USPS and its officials.

This paper explores various elements and issues related to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Topics briefly detailed include etiology, symptomology, diagnosis, neuroanatomy, neurotransmitter systems involved and treatments that focus on neurotransmitters. Emphasis is placed on such topics as cognitive decline and dementia; neurological change; and changes to neurotransmitters and synapses. Details concerning diagnosis and treatment are brief, but do elaborate somewhat on present studies into addressing specific changes in the brain through pharmacological approaches, cognitive therapies and physical exercise. At present, there are limited resources available for treatment of AD. While research continues to seek out more effective therapies, it appears that most only have little to moderate efficacy on this elusive disease.

Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a disease that many people develop, as they get older. This disease leaves you feeling lost and confused, just like if you have ever woken up from an afternoon nap. It is a form of dementia, making people slowly forget about all the normal everyday things of life and also their loved ones.

This paper explores three types of stigma and ties them to people pulled from videos that have been presented throughout this course of study. Self Stigma is presented where some of the individuals may feel as if they are not as good as someone without dementia. Courtesy Stigma is also presented where the family members of dementia patients may feel the stigma just because they are close to the patient. Finally, Public Stigma is described using examples of dementia patients being seen in the public eye as being part of a group of patients rather than being an individual person themselves. Mrs. Potocny states, “You hate to lose the one you can’t live without. But that is exactly what is happening.” when describing her husband’s deterioration.

The Alzheimer’s Association is a nonprofit association formed in 1980 by Jerome H. Stone and several representatives from several family support groups. The organization tries to address and bring awareness to a growing problem within our aging population, which is the development of Alzheimer’s and dementia in the senior population. On the official Alzheimer’s Associations website they explain their mission and purpose which is “ to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care for all affected; and to reduce dementia through promotion of brain health.” (ALZ.org, n.d.). Although Alzheimer’s and dementia can develop in earlier stages of a person’s life and there have been documented cases

— Elderly people suffering from Dementia and Alzheimer meet with a progressive cognitive decline making them experience hardship in performing their everyday conventional activities especially in their outdoor navigation as they tend to forget landmarks even in familiar environments due to gradual decline in their memory and thinking abilities. Hence, disorientation and wandering become common issue. Providing assistive guidance to the elderly people in their outdoor mobility has become a challenging task for caretakers and family members as most of the elders prefer to live independently. Thus, there arises a need for efficient solutions that can monitor the elderly people movements and notify the caretakers in the event of disorientation or wandering being detected.

We present the case of a male (JR) who initially presented with mild psychosis, memory problems, uncharacteristic apathy, persistent depressive state, and family reports of occasional agitation at the age of 69. The family had been overseeing homecare without medical supervision based on their own research and family history. A complete physical was performed and no major comorbid conditions were found. Laboratory tests revealed abnormally high total tau and ptau levels in the cerebral spinal fluid, low levels of β amyloid protein, and confirmed JR harbored the apolipoprotein E ɛ4 susceptibility genotype consistent with a maternal history of dementia. A baseline Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was then established, indicating JR had mild/moderate dementia and focal neurological signs. At the end of the first year the MMSE score declined by 5 points and extrapyramidal signs were evident, but during the second year an additional 8 MMSE points had been lost and JR had to be placed into a nursing facility. Due to the rapid progression of JR's dementia further testing was performed for signs of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which was negative. During the third year, JR passed away and the post-mortem confirmed the presence of Alzheimer's disease and the absence of prion disease.

In our modern society, people can see that almost every person has experienced a loved one taken away from a serious disease known as Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease describes a particular health disorder, and it represents a family concern, as well. It develops slowly and get worse over time. It also can damage a patient’s memory and capacity to communicate, learn, make judgments, and do daily activities; however, it is not a normal part of aging. Because it has known that family histories and genetics' factors increase a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's, it appears to be higher if the individual's parents or other family members have the disease. Studies of family history state that a person's risk of having Alzheimer’s disease

Unfortunately, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors try to treat symptoms and increase quality of life with drugs. The FDA has approved two classes of drugs and in those to classes five different drugs are available for patients who are suffering from this disease. The first class of drugs called cholinesterase inhibitors eliminates a neurotransmitter in the brain called acetylcholine. Doctor Dalvi explained how the inhibitors remove acetylcholine by saying “Cholinesterase inhibitors reduce hydrolysis of synaptic acetylcholine by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, resulting in increased stimulation of the cholinergic receptor.” (DALVI). Drugs in this class significantly impact the growth of the disease. It’s recommended for patients