Alzheimer’s disease is the six leading cause of death in America with its major cause still unknown. Scientist understand that even before early onset symptoms appear there are communication errors between the neurons of the brain. As the disease progresses, family members often notice that their loved ones are more forgetful then normal. The disease progressively worsens until one is unable to recognized loved ones, has difficulty speaking, walking, and even swallowing. The brain of one with advanced Alzheimer’s is actually radically different from that have a healthy brain. Many scientists hypothesize that protein dysfunction plays a role in the progressive damage and death of nerve cells. The nerve cells may be blocked from communication
Alzheimer's is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells affecting memory, changes in thinking, and other mental functions. In addition, it is the most common form of dementia and generally develops slowly and gradually gets worse as brain function declines and cells start to degenerate and die (4). In 1906, Alois Alzheimer, a German physician noticed psychological changes in some individuals so he further observed their brains during an autopsy and noticed a significant difference in brain size along with abnormal deposits in the brain tissue (1). Today Alzheimer’s is considered an epidemic, but is spreading rapidly on a global scale making it a global problem too (2). Unfortunately, Alzheimer's is fatal,
Alzheimer 's disease is a progressive deterioration of cognitive function sufficient to cause functional disability (Hannaman, Mitchell, Cross, 2011). It is the most common cause of dementia after age 60 with initial signs reflective of hippocampal dysfunction, with poor immediate recall and short-term memory. "As the disease progresses, visuospatial dysfunction (including with directions and geographic disorientation), due to parietal lobe involvement, and executive dysfunction (including difficulty initiating and completing tasks, reduced spontaneity, and apathy). due to frontal dysfunction typically appear" (Hannaman, Mitchell, Cross, 2011, p. 11-6). Median survival rate is 3 years because of
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.
Alzheimer’s disease is ten leading cause of death in women ages 65-74, the five leading cause of death in women ages 75-84, and the four leading cause of death in women ages 85 and older. The rate of Alzheimer's disease with women exceeded men because the women are living longer than men and the different life of women's would raise the incidence of this disease. Also, genetic variation and biological all affects aging of women. The prevention methods of Alzheimer’s diseases are first, lifestyle people who engage in intellectual activates such as reading, playing board games, completing crossword puzzles, and playing musical instruments all this activates reduced risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Second, diet people who eat a healthy and Mediterranean
Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia. Alzheimer’s usually starts in late middle age or in old age and results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation and changes in personality and mood. It is an irreversible, progressive disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills which leads to the eventual inability to carry out the simplest tasks. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults.
“There is one thing Alzheimer 's cannot take away, and that is love. Love is not a memory - it 's a feeling that resides in your heart and soul.” (Fade to Blank). The human brain is a remarkably complex organ that processes, stores, and recalls information. “Alzheimer 's disease (AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception. Many scientists believe that Alzheimer 's disease results from an increase in the production or accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nerve cell death.” (Crystal). It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases, and currently has no cure. (# 3) Research continues to be done to develop better ways to care for those affected with the disease, as well as to find support for family members, friends, and caregivers. Alzheimer’s is a devastating illness that is not a normal part of aging. In order to find a cure, awareness needs to increase to improve understanding, develop effective treatments, and to essentially prevent the disease.
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.
Auguste Deter was the first patient who had such a serious case of dementia that Alois Alzheimer decided to look at her brain when she died. Deter was 51 years old when she began to show signs of what is now considered Alzheimer’s Disease or AD. When she died, Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, decided to look into her brain. He wished to see what was causing her to act so wild and uncontrollable. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, he found that parts of her brain and the cells seemed to be dead. The disease soon was named after Alzheimer because of his discovery and has grown to be recognized throughout the world. While there are other diseases in need of research, Alzheimer's is a growing disease that is in need of more research
Alzheimer’s is one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders and causes for dementia and accounts for 50 to 70 percent of all cases of dementia. 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s and although there is no cure, progress is being made to develop drug treatments to slow the loss of mental functions in patients. Not only is Alzheimer’s one of the most common neurodegenerative disorders, but it is also one of the most mysterious. This is because the actual cause for the disease is
Alzheimer’s is an irreversible disease normally affecting the elderly population and is progressive in nature causing degeneration that leads to impairments in memory, reasoning, planning, and behaviour. It is a neurodegenerative disorder that adversely affects neurons in the brain, ultimately resulting in loss of memory and language, behavioural disturbances, and dependence on caregivers (Phillips, Baktir, Das, Lin & Salehi, 2015, p. 1047). Alzheimer’s has 3
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was initially described in 1907 by Bavarian neuropathologist and psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, and today is defined as a progressive and irreversible decline in cognitive abilities related to memory, behaviors, functionality, orientation, communication, language, abstract thinking and learning (Jacob, 2013). According to the latest figures, AD affects 10% of adults 65 and older and almost 50% of those over the age of 85. There are as many as 4.5 Americans currently living with AD, and the estimated that upwards to 13 million we be inflicted with AD within the next 50 years (Imbimbo, Lombard & Pomara,
As we age, our bodies begin to deteriorate. The bones become brittle, the muscles and tendons atrophy, hair falls out, and our mental faculties begin to diminish. It can be difficult when it comes to aging but at times it is a beautiful, natural process of life. With age comes many difficulties and changes. One of them is a very serious and debilitating change that can impact one who is affected as well as those who may be caring for them and their families. This change is that of the disease Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. This disease affects more than 5 million Americans and continues to increase. With this disease on the increase, it begs the question if there is a way to prevent this debilitating disease or at least some kind of early diagnosis. Though there is no concrete way to determine the etiology of Alzheimer’s unless through autopsy of the human brain, there are ways to aid in the early diagnosis of this disease amongst the aging population for better and improved prognosis.
First described by German physician, Alois Alzheimer, in the early 1900s, Alzheimer’s disease is now the fourth most prevalent cause of death- after heart disease, cancer, and stroke (AD- a guide for families). Most common in adults 65 or older, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is regarded as “a loss of intellectual abilities sufficient enough to interfere with everyday social and occupational functioning” (AD- a guide for families). Victims of AD are unable to think abstractly, find similarities and differences between related words, and have trouble defining words and concepts. Other common symptoms include disturbances in language, or aphasia, an inability to carry out motor activities, or apraxia, and a failure to recozinge or identify
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
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in America. It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. Alzheimer’s accounts for 70-80% of dementia cases. By the age of 65, 1 in 9 people are diagnosed and by the age of 85, 1 in 3 people will have the disease. According to the Alzheimer Association, 5 million people in American have Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s starts to form 20 years prior to being diagnosed. Learning about Alzheimer’s can help families understand how Alzheimer’s is more than just memory loss, it is an incurable mental disease.