Introduction:
Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes complications with memory, thinking, and behavior. Long before any signs of memory loss, there a microscopic changes occurring in the brain, altering its functionality (Alzheimer 's Association Organization, 2016). The brain has billions of nerve cells that work together, and when one portion of the brains neurons are malfunctioning it leads to breakdowns in other parts of the brain. The two most noted abnormal structures that are suspected to damage and kill neurons in the brain in patients with Alzheimer’s are plaques and tangles. Plaques are deposits of a proteins fragment called beta-amyloid that build up in the spaces between nerve cells; and tangles are twisted fibers of another protein called tau that build up inside cells (Alzheimer 's Association Organization, 2016).
There are many different types of dementia, but Alzheimer’s is the most common, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases in America (Alzheimer 's Association Organization, 2016). There are three types of Alzheimer’s, Early-onset Alzheimer’s, when people younger than 65 years old are diagnosed with the disease, typically around their 40’s or 50’s and is very rare, less than 10% of all people with Alzheimer’s have early-onset; Late-onset Alzheimer’s which is what most people are familiar with, and is when someone is diagnosed with the disease after the age of 65; and lastly, Familial Alzheimer’s disease which is a form that doctors know for
Alzheimer’s: Scientists know that during Alzheimer’s two abnormal proteins build in the brain. They form clumps called either ‘plaques’ or ‘tangles’. These plaques and tangles interfere with how brain cells work and communicate with each other. The plaques are usually first seen in the area of the brain that makes new memories. A lot of research is focused on finding ways to stop these proteins in their tracks and protect brain cells from harm.
Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia. The term 'dementia' describes a set of symptoms, which can include memory loss, changes in mood and problems with communication and reasoning. These symptoms occur when certain diseases and conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, damage the brain. Alzheimer's disease could be described as a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop
Alzheimer's and dementia is one of the many diseases that affects the nervous system, particularly the brain. Acute memory loss is known as dementia. Thus, Alzheimer's is a severe form of dementia. The diagnosis is the brain lacking brain cells and connections due to degradation. Symptoms of Alzheimer's includes memory loss which can range from minor to severe as well as confusion which directly corresponds to memory loss. Groups of nerves work together to focus on specific jobs such as communication and memory. The brain cells work together and “receive supplies, generate energy, construct equipment and get rid of waste.” Alzheimer's is believed to prevent parts of the cell to not function properly. Scientists are not thoroughly sure where the cells malfunction begins. As the cell continues to divide and spread, the infected cells begin to die off leading to damaged brain connections. Scientists believe that plaques and tangles are the cause of the disease. Plaques are “deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid that build up in the spaces between nerve cells.” Tangles are “twisted fibers of another protein called tau that build up inside cells.” Age results in developed plaques and tangles though, Alzheimer patients have an abnormal amount of these
Scientists are uncertain about the role of plaques and tangles in Alzheimer's disease however, most believe they play a critical role in blocking communication among nerve cells and disrupt the processes that these cells need to survive. It's the destruction and death of nerve cells that causes memory failure, personality changes, problems carrying out daily activities and other symptoms of Alzheimer's
Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. Brain cells in Alzheimer’s disease dies and degenerate causing the loss of memory and mental functions. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.A. Alzheimer’s Disease is named after Dr. Abis Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a lady who had died of an unusual mental illness that was very unknown. The woman 's’ symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior that people with Alzheimer’s have almost often of times. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in this world and it’s thought to be the most progressive disease of all diseases. Also this disease gets progressively worse over time. The majority of people with Alzheimer’s are sixty-five years old or older, however, almost five percent of the people have early-onset Alzheimer’s. Early-Onset Alzheimer 's is known as Alzheimer 's at a younger age which appears at the ages of forties and fifties. In early stage Alzheimer’s, memory lost is very mild. With late Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on conversations and respond to their environment. People with Alzheimer’s often live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others.
Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects the neurons within the brain, causing memory loss as well as language, and behavioral disturbances. An Alzheimer's brain contains Amyloid plaques that form toxic proteins which are called amyloid beta. The amyloid plaques start to spread throughout the brain causing tangles to form in the brain. The tangles are a form of twisted threads of protein. In compartment to a “normal” brain with an Alzheimer's brain, that Alzheimer's brain is remarkably smaller in size and contains fluid flied spaces.
The causes of Alzheimer’s are not yet fully understood; however, its effect on the brain can be understood. Alzheimer’s disease - insidious, attacking and terrifying - stalks and then murders brain cells. A brain afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease has a decreased count in cells and connections among cells. The more brain cells die, the smaller the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s gets. When doctors examine a brain with Alzheimer’s tissue, they see two types of deformities that are known to be trademarks of the disease. The first trademark is known as plaque, which is a cluster of a beta-amyloid protein that may damage and kill brain cells in a number of ways, including blocking with cell-to-cell communication. Whereas the final cause of brain-cell death in Alzheimer’s remains a mystery, the groups of beta-amyloids that cover the brain cells are a sure sign of the disease. The second trademark of Alzheimer’s is the tangle. Brain cells are reliant on internal support and a transport system to bring nutrients and other essentials to their distant regions. This system needs a protein called tau. In Alzheimer’s, strings of tau protein roll into abnormal tangles inside brain cells, concluding in failure of the cell's transport system. This breakdown of the system is powerfully involved in the decline and death of brain
Under normal condition tau binds to microtubules, stabilizing neuronal structure and integrity. Hyperphosphorylation of tau is assumed to be the cause of the formation of paired helical filaments - neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). The principle components of the senile plaques are neurofibrillary tangles in the cell bodies, neuropil threads, and neurites as well as extracellular A-beta amyloid. These lesions are surrounded by microglial and astrocytes. The brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease also contain neuritic or senile plaques in which extracellular deposits of amyloid are surrounded by dystrophic axons as well as the process of astrocytes and microglia. The principle constituent of amyloid is a 4kDa peptide called A-beta amyloid. A-beta amyloid is cleaved from a larger precursor protein called amyloid precursor protein. Similar abnormalities occur in transgenic mice with mutant APP and in individuals with Alzheimer’s
The research into Alzheimer's Disease has come a long way since 1906 when it is was discovered by Alois Alzheimer. He detected microscopic brain tissue changes called senile and neuritic plaques in deceased patients. These are chemical deposits consisting of protein molecules called Amyloid Precursor Protein(APP) that are fundamental components of a normal brain. However in the brain of an Alzheimer patient, an enzyme cuts the APP apart and leaves fragments in the brain tissue. These combined with degenerating nerve cells cause the plaques or lesions. These lesions are found in many sections of the brain including the hippocampus which regulates emotion and memory, the basal forebrain, and especially the basal nucleus of Meynert and the cortex, where the memory function is located.(2) Another sign of a diseased brain are neurofibrillary tangles, which are malformations within nerve cells.
These Amyloid plaques are clumps of protein fragments accumulated between the nerve cells of the brain leading to its damage. In its normal state, these fragments are broken down and disposed but in the case of the Alzheimer’s disorder, these accumulated fragments form a rigid insoluble plaque on the neurons.
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.
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia which drastically affects the memory, behaviors, and though process of the patient. As Alzheimer’s disease effects the victim, society is dealt the aftermath of social and economic repercussions. By raising awareness about this disease, we can influence change in all sectors. Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease can have high physical, emotional, and financial cost. Alzheimer’s disease like any major disease comes with a price tag. Purchasing medication begins to drain our funds. As the disease worsens, the medication becomes dull and ineffective. Whilst in the late on set stage, it is best the patient be monitored around the clock, or be handle by a care taker. Care takers are higher in demand than ever due to the baby boomers aging. Many would disagree with my Thesis because even though many people are becoming victims of severe diseases, more jobs are being created in our time of need. Although this may contribute to the growth of job opportunities in the U.S, it doesn’t face the issue of unpaid caretakers. Data collected by Cynthia Ramnarace, writer of “The high costs of caring for Alzheimer’s Disease” demonstrates American’s provided 12.5 billion hours of unpaid care. This statistic only applies to the Alzheimer’s community. Financially, the loss in payment valued up to $144 billion dollars in 2009. From a prediction flow chart provided by the
In the United States, more than 5 million people are living with Alzheimer. Around 70 percent of these people are living at home. Women have more possibilities to develop Alzheimer. The cause of Alzheimer is unknown. The major risk to people have Alzheimer is genetic, but also there are other factors such as depression, head injuries, vascular diseases, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Alzheimer is a disease of the brain and it can cause dementia. Alzheimer is a chronic neurodegenerative diseases that causes different problems with the memory, thinking and behavior. Alzheimer is one of the leading causes of dementia. Alzheimer represent the 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Dementia is a term use to describe a group of symptoms
In the earliest stages, before symptoms can be detected, plaques and tangles begin to form in areas in the brain including learning, memory, thinking and planning. Plaques are microscopic clumps of protein fragments called beta-amyloid that builds up between nerve cells. Dead and dying nerve cells contain tangles, which are twisted microscopic strands of the protein tau. There isn’t any found diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, but these are some of the main reasons we know are causing learning and communication
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease show two types of abnormal lesions that clog their brain: Beta-amyloid plaques—sticky clumps of protein fragments and cellular material that form outside and around neurons; and neurofibrillary tangles—insoluble twisted fibers composed largely of the protein tau that build up inside nerve cells. However scientists are unclear whether these lesions actually cause the disease or if they are just a byproduct of the disease. (Mayo Clinic, 2014) Some early signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s Disease include memory loss that interrupts daily life, confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships, new problems with speaking or writing, withdrawal from work or social activities, and changes in mood and personality.