The Human Brain : A Strong Association Between Age Change And The Decline Of Cognition

In times past many people thought that memory loss was a normal occurrence for elderly people. This thinking was major reason for why Alzheimer’s disease was not caught until very later in the stages. Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. After heart disease, cancer, and strokes, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of death in adults in the Western world. “It is estimated that 4.5 million Americans over the age of 65 are affected with this condition. After the age of 65, the incidence of the disease doubles every five years and, by age 85, it will affect nearly half of the population” (Robinson).

The disease called Alzheimer’s is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (Weiner, 1987). It is estimated that the elderly population will double between now and 2030. During this period, the number of elderly will grow by an average of 2.8% annually (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001). By 2050, the number of people with Alzheimer’s is estimated to range from 11.3 million to 16 million (Alzheimer’s Association, 2005). These startling numbers should prompt an examination into one of the leading causes of death among this group of people. Understanding what Alzheimer’s is and the known causes of the disease are a good starting point. For those who have aging family members, knowing the risk factors and warning

An estimated 47.5 million people suffer from dementia. Every 4 seconds one new case of dementia is diagnosed. Dementia is a term that describes certain symptoms such as impairment to memory, communication and thinking. It is a group of symptoms and not just one illness. Even though one‘s chance of getting dementia increase with age, it is not a part of aging. Dementia is usually diagnosed after a series of assessments that includes a physical evaluation, memory tests, imaging studies and blood work. It affects three aspects of one’s mental function, cognitive dysfunction (Problems with memory, language, thinking and problem solving), psychiatric behavior (changes in personality, emotional control, social behavior and delusions) and difficulties with daily living activities (driving, shopping, eating and dressing). “The median survival time in women is 4.6 years and in men 4.1 years” (Warren, 2016).

Age-related declines are not constant across brain regions. Moreover, patterns of brain aging differs among individuals. Post mortem (PM) studies cannot help in assessment of brain tissue and its components. Moreover, PM cannot provide information on dynamic process of adult brain development, and its connection with brain structure and function. MRI helps in in-vivo measurements of the brain. It was realized that there is cortical thinning as age progresses. . Some studies of cortical thickness failed to replicate stability of the primary sensory regions (e.g., calcarine cortex) (Fjell et al., 2009; Salat et al., 2004) while others found that cortical thinning in frontal and parietal lobes exceed that of the temporal and occipital regions (Thambisetty et al., 2010). It is suggested that myelin is related to shrinkage in cerebral cortex or responsible for loss of cortical volume. MRI has helped evaluate leukoaraiosis which is a change in white matter integrity that is displayed on a T2-weighted MR image as a high signal intensity area. This area is defined as white matter hyperintensities (WMH) which depicts pathological processes such as ischemic lesions, gliosis, axonal degeneration, loss of myelin, microinfarcts, and expansion of perivascular spaces (de Leeuw et al., 2001; Pantoni, 1998). WHM is observed around the borders of the ventricles and deep in the subcortical WM regions. WHM is not present in health adults until the age of 50-55 (Hopkins et al., 2006). Further,

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by gradual cognitive decline that beings with the inability to create recent memories or thoughts, which then proceeds to effect on all intellectual functions (Mayeux & Stern, 2012). AD affects an estimated 5.5 million people in the United States, and 24 million people worldwide (Mayeux & Stern, 2012). The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is rising in line with the aging population, therefore; AD is most common in older patients around the ages of 60-85 (Mayeux & Stern, 2012). Alzheimer’s Disease is the sixth most common cause of death ("Latest Alzheimer 's Facts and Figures", 2015). Therefore, in the United States, one individual will develop the disease in every 67 seconds ("Latest Alzheimer 's Facts and Figures", 2015).

Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning which affects an individual’s daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that slowly destroys memory and thinking and the ability to perform simple tasks. There is some research that suggests cognitive training may slow the progression of dementia. Cognitive training challenges a variety of cognitive functions such as attention, memory and speed, which is different to general brain training that people may come across in their daily life (Kanaan et al., 2014). Various limitations

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual and irreversible decline of cognitive abilities (Feldman, 2010, p. 325). Informally known as “old timers” disease, it strikes more than half of the elderly community greater than age 85 (Feldman, 2010). In addition to the loss of memory there are also major neurological, functional, and behavioral changes as well. There are a few risk factors including age, family history, and head injuries. There is no definitive way of predicting that a person will get Alzheimer’s, but there are genetic markers and neurological tests that can signify a person’s

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. “Its onset is generally insidious, with gradual deterioration of cognitive function, eventually resulting death.” (Falvo, D. 2009, pg. 226). Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia among people age 65 and older. “Nearly 70 percentages of all dementias are Alzheimer’s, and over 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s.”(www.alz.org). This disease is not just a disease that happens to older people, but there is a small percentage that can also affect those in their 30s.

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. Unfortunately, unlike other forms of dementia Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that involves memory loss, thought and language which can seriously affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities. According to the Center of Disease Control (CDC), “as many as 5 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease. The symptoms of the disease first appear after age 60 and the risk increases with age. Younger people may get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is less common. The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65. By 2050, this number is projected to rise to 14 million, a nearly three-fold increase. Although scientists are learning more every day, unfortunately

The Alzheimer’s Association reports that by the year 2025, around seven million people 65 years of age and older will be suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. There is other subsets of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease being one of the most well known. With the skyrocketing increase of individuals suffering from dementia will come the need for more intervention and prevention projects to help the number of individuals suffering from all forms of dementia. Even though there is an umbrella of different forms of dementia, dementia it self is a term used to describe a disease that is chronic, progressive, and terminal and each of the forms of dementia are classified in this way.

Aging is considered an inevitable part of life and for the most part it can be considered a safe and exciting journey. Throughout the aging process starting from early childhood into late adulthood there are things that one looks forward to. Things like learning how to drive, getting into university, finding a career, and getting married. These goals do not occur simultaneously, rather they occur at certain stages of the aging process. However, as one continues to age and reaches into the later parts of the aging process it can lead to problems. One of these problems is Dementia, which has a common form called Alzheimer’s disease (Burns & Iliffe, 2009). Alzheimer’s disease is defined as, “a form of progressive cognitive decline due to accumulating

Alzheimer 's disease is a form of dementia generally known for afflicting memory loss. An estimated 5 million Americans suffer from this disease (NIH, 2014). It is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s is common among the elderly, yet surprisingly, two-thirds of the people affected are women. While two thirds affected are women, they are also more likely to be from an African-American or Hispanic descent. Alzheimer 's disease is present in 60 to 80 percent of dementia patients (Mayo Clinic, 2015). A symptom of Alzheimer 's is difficulty remembering newly obtained information. As time passes, Alzheimer’s symptoms worsen and there is no cure; there are research studies and experimental treatments available. An estimated $226

Alzheimer’s disease, also known as senile dementia, is defined as a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It is very traumatic for many people and has the capability to rob someone of their entire memory. Many are affected by it every year. Within the U.S. alone, there are over 3 million known cases of Alzheimer’s per year. Alzheimer’s is a stressful and frightening disease that may allow one to actively endure in rehabilitation practices and various other activities to help ease the rapid increase of this devastating disease.

Being that there is currently no cure, Alzheimer’s disease is an emerging public health concern. It poses as a societal issue for us because many of the baby boomers could suffer from this disease, creating an economic crisis. This could result in policies being made and additional taxes for the working to help fund treatment for these individuals. The Obama Administration has launched a war on Alzheimer’s disease, hoping to have a cure by 2025.The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s focuses on five major goals, which are to prevent and effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease by 2025, optimize, care, quality and efficiency, expand supports for people with Alzheimer's disease and their families, enhance public awareness and engagement and track

The purpose of this paper is to examine Alzheimer’s disease in various aspects. Alzheimer’s disease, which is classified as a type of dementia, is a chronic, irreversible, progressive brain disease that is the most common cause of dementia in older adults. In the United States alone, 26 million adults living in the United States, 15% of the population was 65 and older (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). The estimated prevalence of AD recorded in 2015 was 44 million people throughout the world and this number is only expected to grow (Mendiola-Precoma, Berumen, Padilla, & Alcocer, 2016). AD gradually destroys brain function that leads to cognitive decline, psychiatric disorders, and the inability to carry out daily living activities