Pharmacotherapy Treatment Of Alzheimer 's

Alzheimer’s disease is a complex illness that affects the brain tissue directly and undergoes gradual memory and behavioral changes which makes it difficult to diagnose. It is known to be the most common form of dementia and is irreversible. Over four million older Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to triple in the next twenty years as more people live into their eighties and nineties. (Johnson, 1989). There is still no cure for Alzheimer’s but throughout the past few years a lot of progress has been made.

Throughout history there have been reports of decreased memory and mental deterioration that accompanied old age. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who described the symptoms in a woman in Germany in the 1907 but it was not until the 1970’s that AD was considered to be a major disorder and AD continues to be a major health concern worldwide (Reger, 2002).

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease with many different stages that slows one’s lifestyle and has no real cure. Alzheimer’s disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. The disease first appears around the age of sixty. Studies have concluded that as many as 5.1 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. A person with Alzheimer’s loses connections between neurons in the brain (1).

Dementia, defined by the Alzheimer’s Association, is the overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in memory or other thinking skills that affects a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. More than 250,000 Americans will develop dementia (including Alzheimer 's) when they are sixty-five or older and at eighty-five the risk of developing Alzheimer’s is fifty percent. Since this disease was found in 1907 by Alois Alzheimer, there have been thousands of dollars, research, and clinical trials put into finding a cure for this horrible disease. This literature review examines the effects of the type of Dementia known as

Have you ever done something dumb, and stated, "I think I've lost my mind?" Well for an average of 5.5 million people, this is a reality. Parts of their brain literally have begun to die, and with it, goes their livelihood. Before becoming a home health aide, I had heard of dementia and Alzheimer's, but I had never seen it first-hand. Over the last two years I have watched as it has debilitated many people both physically and mentally, and all I can think is: "When

In drug therapy, studies show that cholinesterase blocker can reduce psychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer 's disease. Moreover, Alzheimer 's disease could cause insomnia, irritability, visual illusion, delusions and other symptoms. The drug such as hypnotics, antipsychotic drugs, antiepileptic drugs, anti-depression drugs will have good effects to those symptoms. Furthermore, study shows that neuro protective agent Namenda can block glutamate for the destruction of brain cells. Therefore, drugs that slowing down the continuing loss of life skills are currently the main treatments of moderate and severe dementia.

Alzheimer’s disease begins with memory loss, particularly short-term memory, and can end in loss of all cognitive function. Other losses include the ability to learn, to orient oneself to time and place, and to concentrate. Later, personality and behavioral problems develop such as irritability, agitation, and restlessness. Mood changes occur as well causing depression, frustration, anxiety, hostility, and mood swings. For some it can cause motor changes such as rigidity. Some of the worst possibilities include hallucinations and delusions, but usually that is not until the later stages. Nutrition is a big concern for those with Alzheimer’s as they may refuse to eat (Huether & McCance, 2014, p. 549). There are not many drugs used for Alzheimer’s disease. Mostly drugs are prescribed to treat the symptoms or mood changes such as psychotropic medications. The only drugs that are specifically for Alzheimer’s do not arrest the disease, but instead have a small chance at slowing it down. These drugs include Donepezil, Galantamine, and Rivastigmine are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors that cause less breakdown of acetylcholine and therefore higher levels of acetylcholine in the brain circuits that are lacking this neurotransmitter due to neuronal cell death. Side effects of these drugs include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia, and rarely syncope (Blows, 2011, p. 296). Other

The patient will take prescribed medications and remain an active member of their community for as long as possible with the aid of medication and physical therapy.

Alzheimer’s disease, considered the most common form of dementia, is a degenerative brain disorder which leads to loss of memory and decline of cognitive thinking. Alzheimer’s disease effects over 5 million Americans, a number which is expected to triple in the projected future, and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States (Dougherty, R.J., et al). Majority of these affected people are sixty-five years of age or older and have what is called late-onset Alzheimer’s, whilst a smaller margin of individuals is younger than sixty-five years of age and are said to have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease presents itself in three main stages, is caused by the degeneration of neurons and by the changes in protein composition in the brain, and despite the lack of definitive, early diagnosis or preventative treatment the disease can to a certain degree be detected and managed.

This study will investigate and test how some medications can smooth the progressive advance of the Alzheimer in patients with more than 70 years. Alzheimer which is a degenerative disease of the neuro system due to memory loss is still being very questionable and debated. As of today there is no cure, nor reversal for the disease. Many researchers are still studding and looking for therapies and medication that can stop or reverse the development of the disease. It is very important to prove that some medications can help to cope with the disease. In my study I will be able to demonstrate

Last year my maternal Aunt Kate passed away. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) about eight years earlier. My maternal grandmother also had been diagnosed with dementia before her death. Later this month I will accompany my 77-year-old mother to her neurologist appointment. While she has not been diagnosed with AD or dementia, she has been prescribed Donepezil (Aricept), one of the newer drugs that are thought to reduce the decline in memory in patients that have or might be developing dementia. I welcome opportunities to learn more about AD and the effects on the brain. The Alzheimer’s Association website, ALZ.org, is filled with a wealth of this information. Especially interesting was “Inside the Brain: An Interactive Tour.” I learned about changes the normal brain experiences from early, mild to moderate and severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is a disease where neurotransmitters, acetylcholine, or the brain’s chemicals break connections with other nerve cells causing the cells to die off, the effects of this are irreversible. The loss of these cells result in loss of thinking and language skills, unpredictable behavioral changes and eventually the inability to carry out the simplest tasks. Although there is no known cause for Alzheimer’s, researchers have found a genetic link. Alzheimer’s first symptoms usually appear when a person is between forty and fifty years of age. Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that initiates in the brain, drastically decreasing the quality of life as well as life expectancy in millions of people around the world.

Alzheimer's Disease is a condition that affects 50% of the population over the age of eighty five, which equals four million Americans each year. It is becoming an important and high-profile issue in today's society for everyone. There are rapid advancements being made in the fight against this disease now more than ever, and the purpose of this essay is to educate the public on the background as well as the new discoveries. There are many new drugs that are being tested and studied every day which slow down, and may even halt the progress of the disease.

Even if I was a young child, I still vividly remember my grandfather being diagnosed with dementia almost twelve years ago. At the beginning of his diagnosis, I didn’t fully understand the weight of this discovery in regards to what it meant for our family for the years to come and how much my grandfather would change with dementia. Towards the end of his life, I began to understand the weight of his illness and that my time with him was limited. Even if his death three years ago has brought much grief to me and my family, it brought us closer together and encouraged us to reflect how much he made an impact on our life. Because my grandfather made such a positive and lasting impact on my life, I wish to help solve this problem that affected him and discover the cure to this frightening disease that affects millions worldwide.

Pharmacological interventions of treating AD are by using anti-dementia drugs. Anti-dementia drugs are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and memantine. AChEIs which are donepezil, galantamine and rivastigmine have marketing authorisation in UK for treatment of mild to moderate AD. AChEIs work by preventing acetylcholinesterase enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine so that the concentration and duration of acetylcholine at neurotransmission sites increase [1]. Donepazil is a reversible, specific AChEI. Galantamine is a reversible inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and it can modulate activity at nicotinic receptor. Rivastigmine is a reversible non-competitive inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. AChEI can cause unwanted side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and dizziness. Treatment should be started at low dose and the dose can be titrate up gradually depend on response and tolerability