Alzheimer's Disease Compromises Cognitive and Memory Skills

Alzheimer's disease, first described by the German neurologist Alois Alzheimer, is a physical disease affecting the brain. During the course of the disease, protein 'plaques' and 'tangles' develop in the structure of the brain, leading to the death of brain cells. People

Even today, after so much study, Alzheimer’s is not fully understood. However, researchers do agree that this degenerative disease is caused by the gradual buildup of fibrous protein compounds in the brain, which are known in the scientific world as amyloids. These amyloids in the brain area act like plaque and as a result of their presence, the normal brain functioning is disrupted.

It is a disease that we haven’t cured yet but instead have only come up and still coming up with treatment strategies to alleviate its symptoms. AD was first described in 1906 by a German psychiatrist by the name of Alois Alzheimer whilst he was performing a histophathologic study of his patient’s brain, a patient who had been suffering from dementia. His patient’s brain’s autopsy brought to light the presence of two types of lesions, which are senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. He saw a visible difference in the brain tissue for it was severely damaged by these lesions. Since then, our knowledge of AD’s cellular and molecular alterations has increased and we have come up with various hypotheses for AD that may soon help in developing effective preventative and therapeutic strategies. One of the most prevailing hypotheses that have already leaded to a number of therapeutic approaches is the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Hence, the following essay will explore the pathology of the amyloid cascade hypothesis and the evidence for and against it. It will also touch upon current progress in clinical trials that test the

Alzheimer’s is a disease in the brain that affects a person’s memory, thinking, and behavior. It is the most common form of dementia and is common in adults older than 65. More than five million Americans are being affected by Alzheimer’s at this moment. Alzheimer’s comes in three stages; early, middle, and advanced. The disease is caused by the shrinking of the brain due to many risk factors and genetics.

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. Estimates vary, but experts suggest that as many as 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease. For most people with Alzheimer’s, symptoms first appear after age 60; however there is no specific age that a person can get the disease. If you are between the ages of 30 and 50, the disease is called Younger on-set Alzheimer’s.

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.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder and the leading cause of dementia in people above the age of 65. In 1901, Alois Alzheimer identified the first case of this disease and discovered the pathological condition of dementia that bears his name. AD is a progressive disease, the most common early symptom is short-term memory loss. As the disorder advances, individuals have problems with language, motivation, mood and long-term memory. In the final stages, the patient is complete loss of daily living activities.

Alzheimer’s disease in many ways is not yet defined. It is a progressive disease afflicting between 5 and 15 percent of people over 65. Additionally, it is not restricted to the elderly, reportedly having

Alzheimer’s is defined as “A degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood…” (Webster). The Alzheimer’s Association states that more than 5 million American are currently living with Alzheimer’s. It is also the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S.

“Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a type of dementia, which is affecting the population that develops in the brain and can lead to problems with memory, thinking and behavior”. The Amyloid Hypothesis claims that the build up of the beta-amyloid in the brain is a cause in the development of Alzheimer disease in patients. This plaque of the beta-amyloid and its cascade of events can be linked to the deterioration and negative effects of cognitive function of the brain over time. The beta-amyloid is described to be a “sticky” protein located in the brain therefore plaques or build up of the amyloid is common. These plaques in turn can block the brain cells from communicating with each other. Which then activates an immune system, that leads to inflammation

Alzheimer’s is a disease which effects the brain, memory and behavioral aspects of everyday life. It is the most common form of dementia which accounts for over two thirds of cases which are recorded. The disease was first recorded by German Doctor Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was first named by Emil Kraepelin when he mentioned It in his book “Psychiatrie” which was released in 1910. Alois first discovered Alzheimer’s disease when he noticed shrinking in the cortex of the brain and abnormal deposits of nerve cells through an autopsy on Auguste Deter.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disease that affects the brain. It causes mental deterioration in the brain and may occur in middle or old age. Ultimately, a person with AD loses all memory and mental functioning over time. The disease slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to do simple tasks. Alzheimer’s is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who noticed changes in the brain tissue of a women who had died of an unusual mental illness. She showed symptoms like memory loss, language problems and unpredictable behavior. He examined her body and found abnormal clumps (now diagnoses as amyloid plaques). These clumps are now considered one of the main features of alzheimer's

Alzheimer's is a progressive, degenerative and fatal disease in which cell to cell connections in the brain are lost. It is the most common type of dementia, and its also most common in patients that are 65 or older. Alois Alzheimer was the founder of this disease. Up until the 1960’s it was known as senile dementia, and It was also considered a normal part of aging. In the early 1970’s, scientists began to go more in depth with their research. Any type of dementia is characterized by the loss of neurons and synapses in certain subcortical regions of the brain. Soon, the hippocampus, temporal lobe, and parietal lobe start to degenerate, as well as parts of the frontal cortex and cingulate gyrus.

Alzheimer Disease is the most common cause of dementia in the world. Additionally, it is the sixth leading cause of death in America. By 2012, the payments for care or Alzheimer patients had reached $200 billion. Alzheimer disease is an age related neurodegenerative disease. It is characterized by forgetfulness, speech impairments, and depression (NIH 2011). In later stages one experience s difficulty in speaking, walking, and swallowing. During diagnosis the patient’s medical and family history is obtained. This also includes psychiatric history, cognitive history, and behavioral changes (NIH 2011). The physician performs cognitive tests, physical tests, and neurologic examinations. Patients may undergo MRI scans to identify brain changes. The cause of Alzheimer disease is not known. However, scientists believe it is caused by an interaction of many factors coupled with brain changes (NIH 2011). One develops amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles coupled with the loss of connections between nerve cells, or

The mechanism of the disease is largely unknown but the amyloid cascade hypothesis is the basis for the pathophysiology of AD. According to Armstrong “senile plaques (SPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) have been regarded as the “signature” pathological lesions of Alzheimer’s