Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a debilitating illness of the nervous system, affecting millions of geriatric population worldwide. Numerous factors are involved in the disease etiology viz. tau phosphorylation, amyloid β protein (Aβ) accumulation, lipid dysregulation, oxidative stress and inflammation. Among all factors oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathogenesis of AD leading to neuronal dysfunction and cell death (1). Oxidative stress is caused due to the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which denatures biomolecules such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids through pathological redox reactions(2). Increased oxidative stress also results in excessive lipid peroxidation, weakening the cell membranes, causing
Alzheimer’s Disease has been one of the top leading causes of death in our country. It is understood that this disease is identified as an excess of the protein amyloid-ß within an increase of plaque (Seneff, Wainwright, and Mascitelli, 2010). Additionally, as the brain ages, it gets used to the inflammation and oxidative stress, so it is important to take the right amount of antioxidant micronutrients like vitamin C and vitamin E as well as anti-inflammatory macronutrients such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to protect the brain from ageing (Whalley et. al, 2004). This is a devastating disease that affects most people over the age of fifty. Recently, there have been many studies done to figure out what causes this disease, if there is anything that can cure it, and how to prevent the disease. Seneff, Wainwright, and Mascitelli, believe Alzheimer’s develops with consuming too many carbohydrates, especially fructose and having a deficiency in cholesterol and dietary fats as well (2010). Whalley, Starr, and Deary have seen that poor diet, poverty, and failing health are links to developing Alzheimer’s Disease (2004). Furthermore, seeing increase in plasma homocysteine concentration increases risk of Dementia, which can result from an inadequate intake of vitamin B12/folate (Walley et. al, 2004). Additionally, Gray supports Walley’s findings and even believes having an adequate intake of vitamin B12/folate will have a positive effect on the overall health
Dementia is a syndrome which is progressive in nature, characterized by impairment of memory and loss of intellectual ability.1 Decreased level of Acetylcholine in the brain, neuro-inflammatory reaction, rise in the oxidative stress and hypercholesterolemia have been reported to play an important etiological role in the memory decline.2 Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia which is a progressive and a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of senile plaques rich in insoluble aggregates of β amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. AD has been estimated to account for 50–60% of dementia cases in persons over 65 years of age worldwide.3 Alzheimer’s Disease International
According to data available from the Alzheimer’s foundation every 67 seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s disease and currently at least 5.3 million people are affected by the disease. The numbers are expected to grow as 75 million baby boomers transition into retirement by 2030. Alzheimer disease is a brain disorder that causes decay and dis- function of neurons resulting in memory loss, speech and language impairment. This can also extend to challenges in physical and social behavioural. The brain, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum and brain stem is the primary target of Alzheimer’s disease. At three pounds the brain has a network of arteries and a folded cortex that is responsible for memory and movement. These functions are facilitated by a network of neurons. Alzheimer’s disease interferes with these neurons by disrupting electrical transfer; Death of brain cells is inevitable as the cortex shrinks becoming incapable of developing thoughts and memory. The Alzheimer’s patient experiences an altered personality with family members becoming strangers.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most widespread age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Both diseases impact a considerable number of people, where AD occurs in around 10 percent of the population greater than the age of 65 while PD occurs in roughly 1 percent of the population above the age of 65. AD is considered to be the most widespread cause of dementia, characterised by the progressive memory and cognitive deficits which impair ones day to day activities. The pathological hallmark of AD comprises of extracellular accumulation of senile plaques consisting of mainly amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides, along with neurofibrillary tangles which are composed of the phosphorylated tau protein, located in the hippocampus and cortex. Conversely, PD is considered to be the most widespread movement disorder that is characterised by symptoms such as rigidity slow movements, resting tremor and other instabilities. The extreme loss of dopaminergic neurones in the substantia nigra is what defines PD, as the loss of this nerve cell can be linked to Lewy bodies containing aggregates of a soluble protein called α-synuclein.
“Dementia is characterized by chronic, global, non-reversible deterioration in memory, executive function, and personality. Speech and motor functions may also be impaired” (Butler and Radhakrishnan, 2011). As defined by Butler and Radharkrishnan, dementia is a disease that affects a person for their whole life. In the next part of this paper, I’m going to talk about the dementia and the effects it has on a person live whether it is with the symptoms, overall experience with it, and what exactly it does to the body. Dementia isn’t a fun disease to have or deal with. According to the World of Health Organization, over 35 million people have dementia (Robitaille, Garcia, & McIntosh, 2015). I’m mainly going to talk about the specific type of dementia Alzheimer’s. “Alzheimer’s disease is defined as a type of dementia characterized by an onset and slow deterioration, and involves impairments in memory, speech, personality, and executive function”(Butler and Radharkrishnan, 2011). Memory loss isn’t just the only thing that happens with dementia. They also experience impairments in language, communication, focus, and reasoning (Ellis, 2013).
There is a great deal of impetus for understanding the mechanisms that lead to clinical AD and discovering modifiable risk factors. Clinical symptoms of dementia relate to the affected areas of the brain. In AD the symptoms are caused by a progressive loss of cholinergic function due to neuronal cell death in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex, brain regions involved in thought processing and memory. At the microscopic level, the neuropathological hallmarks of AD consists of two kinds of protein aggregates, amyloid plaques and hyper-phosphorylated tangles of tau-protein (Figure 1). Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a transmembrane protein without known function that is constitutively cleaved
Awareness is necessary in understanding this disease. As humans continue to live longer, the risk for many illness and deficiencies begin to present them. Alzheimer’s and dementia is one of the many problems that plague the aging population. Understanding brain aging and reducing risk for neurological disease with age requires searching for mechanisms and treatment options beyond the age-related changes in neuronal
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been ranked the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. New research suggests the ways of
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 AD 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, 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.” (Alzheimer 's Association, 2015). I learned about changes the normal brain experiences from early, mild to moderate and severe stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that progresses over time and destroys important mental functions and involves memory loss. The disease usually occurs in elders ages 60 or older and the further the stages in the disease, the worse it gets. The entire health care system, family, friends, and the person with the disease are all greatly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a major issue from a public health perspective because it is one of the most expensive medical conditions in the United States. People can live with Alzheimer’s for quite a long time, but they need care while living, so the cost continues to add up as people with Alzheimer’s continue to live, but having no way of functioning on
Research has shown in the past that red wine may be good for the heart; however, current research shows that it may also prove beneficial in preventing certain tumors and even reducing the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery comes as a result of the combined efforts of Alzheimer’s disease researchers at UCLA and Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.
One of the most common forms of dementia in US is Alzheimer’s disease with an estimated 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015 and approximately 700,000 patients of age 65 and older to die of this disease. Alzheimer’s has thus become the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. Currently, one of the top 10 causes of death in America, Alzheimer’s disease progression cannot be slowed, cured or prevented. However, various researchers have been working on methods to decrease the progression or cure the disease, primarily focusing on the potentially modifiable risk factors.
39 male and female early-stage Alzheimer’s patients over the age of 55 were the participants in a study in which Shinto et al. (2014) investigated omega-3 fatty acid supplementation’s effect on cognitive decline, as well as oxidative stress, an indicator of Alzheimer’s disease. For 12 months, randomized participants received either a placebo, an omega-3 fish oil supplement, or omega-3 fish oil with the antioxidant lipoic acid.5 In addition to measuring lipid oxidation, researchers assessed performance on three cognitive tests: the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Activities of Daily Living [t]est, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale.5 Compared to placebo, the participants receiving both omega-3 fish oil and lipoic acid showed a higher reduction in oxidative measures and a deceleration in cognitive decline, indicating that combining omega-3 with lipoic acid may slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s patients.5 However, this study was limited by a small sample size and short trial period of only 12 months.5
Alzheimer’s disease is a mental disorder that catches up to many while in middle or old age, due to generalized degeneration of the brain. It is the most common cause of premature senility.
After having its sequence elucidated, mutations in this gene have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease [6,7,8]. Besides its prominence in ALS, antioxidants have been gaining attention lately because of their role in aging - specifically, how they could slow or