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 (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 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 (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 a progressive brain disease which slowly destroys thinking and memory skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day to day life. This irreversible disease is the most common cause of dementia amongst the elderly, with an appearance of first symptoms after age 60.
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 form of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. AD typically involves the development of a progressive neuropsychiatric disorder that is characterized by gradual memory impairment, loss of acquired skills and emotional disturbances (Lee, Y. J., Han, S. B., Nam, S. Y., Oh, K. W., & Hong, J. T.). Every 67 seconds an individual in the United States develops AD. AD is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. There are 5.3 million Americans diagnosed with AD (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). AD is one of the few degenerative diseases that cannot be prevented, stopped, or cured (Latest Alzheimer's Facts and Figures). Post-mortem examination of the brain of AD patients usually
Experts know little about the true causes of AD (Alzheimer’s disease), however they have proposed the amyloid hypothesis to explain how the disease begins. In people afflicted with AD, lethal transformations are happening in the brain. A buildup of amyloid plaque (β-amyloid clumps), caused by the
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is also a progressive disease with no cure. Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906. He noticed changes in brain tissue of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. Although there are many types of dementias, Alzheimer's is the most common. It accounts for 60-80% of dementia causes. Aging is a normal process but Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of the aging process. Early onset Alzheimer’s affects 5% of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and it appears between the ages of 40’s and 50’s. Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. There are many symptoms that come along with Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a slow-progressing neurodegenerative disease that has no cure and most often affects people over the age of sixty-five. Neurodegeneration is characterized by the loss of function in the central nervous system due to degeneration of neurons found mostly in the brain. The most recent data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that AD is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. The cause of Alzheimer’s is still not completely understood, but the current theory is that it appears to be genetic in which many genes are involved. AD is also the most common form of dementia and accounts for 60-80% of cases (Alzheimer’s Association 2016). Dementia is not a disease itself, but instead is characterized by a group of symptoms that is caused by brain disease or injury in which memory, personality, and reasoning skills are affected.
Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that gradually destroys brain cells, affecting a person’s memory and their ability to learn, make judgments, communicate and carry out basic daily activities. The disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. It was first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1905 (Selkoe, 2016). The average life expectancy of an Alzheimers patient is between five and ten years, but some patients today have live for up to 15 years after the diagnosis due to improvements in care and medical treatments. The cause of Alzheimer 's has not yet been discovered and it also not possible to confirm a person has Alzheimer 's until their autopsy following death (Park, 2016).
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 devastating disorder of the brain, it is the most common cause of dementia, and the leading cause of death in women in the UK (Gallagher, 2014). Alzheimers is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, that occurs in a middle to old age person. Its symptoms slowly deteriorate the brains functions until it eventually results in death. The most common symptom of Alzheimers disease is progressive memory loss. As the disease progresses patients begin to demonstrate poor judgment and their inability to take carry out daily tasks. They develop a strong sense of confusion not recognising familiar people, places or things in their lives and soon develop problems with speech/language and frequent changes in mood. At this point,
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive mental deterioration that can occur in middle or elderly age. It destroys memory and other major mental functions (Mayo Clinic staff).
Scientists don’t fully understand what causes the disease, but the most common cause is age. It affects adults over the age of 65. Above this age, a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease doubles approximately every five years. Statistics show that one in six people over 80 have dementia (Alzheimer’s Society). This disease can also be genetic. If you have a person in your family diagnosed with Alzheimer’s you’ll have a greater chance to be diagnosed later in life. This disease is caused by many effects in the brain. A mutation of genes is one result in Alzheimer patients. There are three specific genes within the mutation that are associated with Alzheimer’s are amyloid precursor protein (APP) and the genes for the presenilin 1 and presenilin 2 proteins (Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures). These are genes subjected in early on-set of the disease. Although, the number one indicator to Alzheimer’s is Apolipoprotein E (APOE). The APOE gene provides the blueprint for a protein that transports cholesterol in the bloodstream (Alzheimer’s Facts and Figures). There are three forms of these protein. APOE3 is one form that can decrease ones chance to develop this disease. On the other hand, APOE4 is another form, but instead it increases one’s risk to developing the disease. Researchers estimate that between 40 and 65 percent of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s have one or two copies of the APOE-e4 gene (Alzheimer’s Facts and