Genetics Of Families With Alzheimer 's Disease

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).

The call came at 9:05 p.m. on January 20, 2004. Mom had just finished telling the news about the girl's grandfather. He had Alzheimer's Disease and was not doing well at all. The ruling was that he probably would not make it through the night. She knew exactly what the news was the moment her mom said, "No." After the news came, the decision was made they would leave the next day to attend the funeral.

There are two types of Alzheimer’s, early onset and late onset, which both have genetic components. Alzheimer’s disease was named after Alois Alzheimer in 1906 when he had discovered changes in the brain tissue of a woman who died unusually from mental illness. Alzheimer’s is ranked as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Familial Alzheimer’s disease commonly known as, Early Onset Alzheimer or eFAD is a form of Alzheimer that is usually detected between the ages of 30-60. Familial Alzheimer is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. Familial Alzheimer’s symptoms may include; movement difficulties, sense of smell, word finding, vision and spatial issues, times and places confusion,

Familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) is a rare form of Alzheimer's that is entirely passed down through family, being inherited from a parent. FAD accounts for between 2-3% of all cases of Alzheimer's and usually has a much earlier onset than other types of Alzheimer's, with symptoms developing in their 30s or 40s.

Recent research has shown links between particular genes and Alzheimer’s disease, but in bout 90% of Alzheimer's cases; there is no clear genetic link. With help of standardized diagnostic criteria, physicians can now diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with an accuracy of 80-90% once symptoms occur. However definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is possible only through the examination of brain tissue at an autopsy. Scientist still isn’t certain what causes the disease. Scientist is exploring the role of genetics in the development of Alzheimer's disease, focusing on chromosome 19. Rare forms of the disease, which strike people in their 30’s & 40’s often run within families and appear to be related to chromosome 1, chromosome 14, and chromosome 21. Many researchers and physicians are coming to believe that Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease, probably caused by a variety of influences. To help those are affected by Alzheimer's disease an association has

Early-onset Alzheimer’s is a rare, but fast stage of Alzheimer’s disease. According to Glenn E. Smith, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn. (2014), Early-onset Alzheimer’s is an uncommon form of dementia that strikes about 5 percent of patients with symptoms before the age of 65. This form of Alzheimer’s has been known to develop between the ages 30 and 40, but that’s very uncommon (Smith 2014). Scientists do not have an explanation of why people get the disease younger than others. Early-onset Alzheimer’s that is hereditary in family members is connected to three different genes that differ from the APOE gene that can increase your risk of Alzheimer’s in general (Smith 2014). The innate conduit of inheritance is much stronger in early-onset Alzheimer’s (Smith 2014). If one has a genetic mutation

Late onset Alzheimer’s disease, LOAD, is diagnosed if the age of onset is 65 or older. These LOAD patients comprise greater than 95% of all AD diagnoses. Early onset Alzheimer’s disease, EOAD, is diagnosed if the age of onset is less than 65 years old. EOAD is mostly diagnosed between the late 40s and early 50s, which comprise 1-5% of all AD diagnoses. Millions of Americans, spanning all ages, have a form of Alzheimer’s disease, with more than two-thirds of these cases being in females. Family clusters, or several members of a family being diagnosed, are more prevalent in EOAD patients. This is because EOAD and LOAD are cause by different genetic

It is a disease that we haven’t cured yet but instead have only come up and still coming up with treatment strategies to alleviate its symptoms. AD was first described in 1906 by a German psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer whilst he was performing a histophathologic study of his patient’s brain, a patient who had been suffering from dementia. His patient’s brain’s autopsy brought to light the presence of two types of lesions, which are senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. He saw a visible difference in the brain tissue for it was severely damaged by these lesions. Since then, our knowledge of AD’s cellular and molecular alterations has increased and we have come up with various hypotheses for AD that may soon help in developing effective preventative and therapeutic strategies. One of the most prevailing hypotheses that have already leaded to a number of therapeutic approaches is the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Hence, the following essay will explore the pathology of the amyloid cascade hypothesis and the evidence for and against it. It will also touch upon current progress in clinical trials that test the

Alzheimer's Disease is one of the societal issues that Scientists will be able to address. Most Alzheimer's patients have gotten the disease from their parents, meaning, scientists can study the genome of the patients to understand why it is genetic. Alzheimer's is difficult to understand because someone can get the gene even when no one else in their family has it. Studying the genomes of these patients can also give light on why there is Early-onset Alzheimer's and Late-onset Alzheimer's. Through this study and research, scientists can get a better understanding on how to slow down or even cure the disease.

According to Lu and Bludau (2011), Alzheimer disease is a degenerative disease of the brain that can lead to dementia and impair all brain functioning. Biologically, Alzheimer’s disease is believed to be caused by abnormal plaques called amyloid plaques, which are a buildup of protein fragments that are thought to be damaging to the brain cells. However, scientists are still unsure if this buildup actually cause the disease or is a result of the disease itself. This disease can also be a result of a genetic mutation, increasing individuals with the gene mutation risk as much as eight times higher than individuals

Familial Alzheimer’s Disease (FAD) is a form of mental deterioration characterized by the formation of amyloid plaques around neurons in the brain. While there appears to be multiple ways general Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) can develop, FAD is a rare type of AD that can be acquired hereditarily. Of all general Alzheimer’s cases, around 1-5% are FAD specific, which translates to about 50,000 to 250,000 people (Strobel). Children of people who have acquired certain genetic mutations linked with FAD have been shown the potential of inheriting these mutations and developing FAD as a result. Mutations in the presenilin proteins (PSEN1; PSEN2) or in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) have been shown to be linked with FAD. PSEN1 is most prominently

Alzheimer’s is a form of dementia that causes memory loss, thinking, and behavioral issues. Nearly 5.4 million American’s are affected by Alzheimer’s. People who are affected begin with early-onset Alzheimer’s. One will experience symptoms such as confusion, mild memory loss, and speaking issues. The inheritance pattern of early-onset Alzheimer’s is autosomal dominant inheritance. This means that if you inherit the abnormal Alzheimer’s gene from a parent, you are likely to get the disease. Even though Alzheimer’s is a somewhat common disorder, the inheritance pattern of late-onset Alzheimer’s is still unknown. Although, scientists believe genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors play a role in a person’s risk for developing the disease.

Family history of a first degree relative with AD (+FH) has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of AD (Fratiglioni 1993) and studies have confirmed that pathological changes related to AD, such as impaired recall, are present years before the clinical manifestation of the disorder in +FH non demented participants (Bondi 1994). In addition, the APOE gene, located on chromosome 19, has been linked to AD, with its e2, e3 and e4 alleles having varying effects on the development of the disorder. The e2 allele has been found to be a protective factor against the neural changes of AD

“Increasing age is the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s. Your risk increases greatly after you reach the age of 65. Nearly half of those older than 85 have Alzheimer’s disease” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). “Sex is a risk factor because women may be more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease, because women live longer” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). “Family history and genetics are a risk factor for getting the disease because your risk of developing Alzheimer’s appears to be somewhat higher if a first-degree relative, for example, your parent or sibling, has the disease” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). The final risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease is past head trauma. “People who’ve had a severe head trauma or repeated head trauma appear to have a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). “In US, the Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death overall and among those aged 65 and above, it is the 5th leading cause of death. While the deaths from major diseases, like heart disease have decreased, the death due to Alzheimer's has increased by more than 60 percent between 2000 and 2012. The total number of patients having Alzheimer's disease was 5.4 million in 2012. Out of this, the people aged 65 and above accounted for 5.2 million and at least 200,000 patients were younger than 65 with early-onset of Alzheimer's. It has been observed that almost 1 in 8 people coming under the 65 age group are patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Amongst the population in the 80 age group, almost 45 percent have been detected with Alzheimer’s disease” (M2 Press Wire,

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a form of Dementia. Dementia is a depletion of mental ability caused by brain cells dying. However, many factors have been linked to the development of AD, and there is not yet a cure and the main cause is unknown. Most people develop AD over the age of 65. Alois Alzheimer first found AD in Germany during 1901. Although not much attention was paid to the disease at the time, AD is becoming an increasing worry in our society due to the ageing population.