Alzheimer's Disease: A Case Study

Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and is common in adults older than 65. More than five million Americans are being affected by Alzheimer’s at this moment. Alzheimer’s comes in three stages; early, middle, and advanced. The disease is caused by the shrinking of the brain due to many risk factors and genetics.

Alzheimer’s Disease is a form of dementia affecting more than one third of those over ninety-five years old. Its effects vary per person and become systematically more extreme as time wears on. Alzheimer’s is currently incurable and impossible to slow, destroying neurons and brain tissue, resulting in loss of memory, judgment, awareness, communication, behavior and capacity for emotion. Changes in personality and loss of initiative are also common symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

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).

What is Alzheimer’s disease and how is it affecting lives in the world today? The Alzheimer’s Association state that every 67 seconds someone is diagnosed with the Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2). The Alzheimer’s disease occurs in middle to older ages, and is a general deterioration of the brain. Symptoms of the Alzheimer’s disease include memory loss within the daily lifestyle, hard time completing tasks and problems, misunderstanding time and/or place, clarity problems with relationships or visual images, personality and mood deviations, and removing oneself from social and work activities that are in their normal lifestyle. The Alzheimer’s disease does get worse and progress overtime, and is one of the leading diseases for the cause of death. Bright Focus Foundation

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can be described as a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive physical and cognitive decline.1 AD which is mostly seen in the elderly, is the most common form of dementia. Dementia can be described as the loss of the brain’s ability to function in multiple ways in a person who is awake or alert. Dementia includes memory loss and also affects a person’s ability to speak, read, write, listen, and complete certain tasks.1 Dementia can have a tremendous impact on one’s behavior and emotions and can range from being a mild case to being totally disabling. There are several types of dementia with AD being the most common, which primarily affects the elderly and is usually irreversible and non-curable. Although not all dementia is AD, it does however account for up to fifty to seventy-five percent of dementia cases.2 Over 5 million Americans have AD, and it is estimated that by the year 2050 this number will have increased up to 14 million.2 One out of every ten people, ages sixty-five years and older develops AD and some may even develop the disease in their forty’s and fifty’s.2

Alzheimer’s Disease is the gradual mental depreciation that can happen in middle to old age because of degeneration or damage to the brain.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive, terminal, degenerative brain disease. It is the fourth leading cause of death in adults and currently affects over four million people in the United States. This number is expected to increase over the next several years as the baby boomers age, until it reaches fourteen million by the year 2025.

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 is a progressive and currently irreversible brain disease that slowly affects and/or impairs a person’s memory, ability to learn, ability to communicate, personality and movement. It has been over a century since Alzheimer’s was discovered in 1906 and there is currently no cure for the disease. More than 5 million Americans currently have some form Alzheimer’s and the number is projected to grow in the coming decades. The large majority of those who have the disease are over the age 65; although it is possible to develop Alzheimer’s at an earlier age ranging from 30 to 50 years of age. It is currently the sixth leading cause of death in America and costs over 200 billion of dollars a year to care of those who have Alzheimer’s.

     Alzheimer’s disease is relentlessly destroying the brains and lives of our nation’s older adults, robbing them of memory, the ability to reason, and affecting their emotions and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the brain. The longer we live the greater the risk: one out of every two Americans aged 85 and older and one out of every 10 aged 65 and older are afflicted with the disease. It affects two groups of people: those with the disease and the loved ones who care for them. By the year 2050, an estimated 14 million Americans will be in its grip.

Alzheimer’s disease, AD, is a form of dementia that affects more individuals than any other form of dementia. “Dementia is the name for a group of symptoms caused by disorders that affect the brain. It is not a specific disease” (nlm.nih.gov). AD is the leading cause of all elderly mental degeneration and death in relation. The demographic for most deaths of Alzheimer’s disease correlate with an

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was once considered a very rare disease. Now, it is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that effects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. Some early symptoms include: difficulty remembering recent conversations, names, or events. Later the symptoms can progress to impaired communication, disorientation, confusion, poor judgement, and behavior changes. The worst of the symptoms include: difficulty speaking, swallowing, and walking. Alzheimer’s disease changes the brain. Alzheimer's disease leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss throughout the brain. Over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all its functions (Brain Tour, 2011). Alzheimer's disease primarily

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

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, which is a term used for a decline in mental ability that is so intense it disrupts daily life (What is Alzheimers?, 2017). In Alzheimer's disease, the brain cells degenerate and die, causing a steady decrease in memory and mental function (Staff, 2017). This disease is responsible for sixty to eighty percent of dementia cases (What is Alzheimers?, 2017). Those who are 65 and older take up the majority of people with Alzheimer’s (What is Alzheimers?, 2017). After sixty-five, the risk of Alzheimer's doubles every five years and after eighty-five, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent (What is Alzheimers?, 2017). However, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, “Approximately 200,000 Americans under the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease”.

Acknowledging the cognitive functions and symptoms of the Alzheimer’s disease is the importance of recognizing the disease. The Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alzheimer, after observing and examining a patient with various symptoms of what we know as the Alzheimer’s disease today. From the patient's death, Dr. Alzheimer discovered the results of the autopsy and the brain functions (Marton & Piotrowski, 2016). An article (2016) describe the structure of the brain that causes the symptoms of the disease to arise. The brain has many nerve cells and each nerve cell communities together to operate different parts of our body. Cells also process and store information into our memory system. But, when the brain is affected