Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

Alzheimer’s disease is named after a German doctor, Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer became aware of changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual

Later in the course of the disorder, affected individuals may become confused or disoriented about what month or year it is, be unable to describe accurately where they live, or be unable to name a place being visited. Eventually, patients may wander, be unable to engage in conversation, erratic in mood, uncooperative, and lose bladder and bowel control. In late stages of the disease, persons may become totally incapable of caring for themselves. Death can then follow, perhaps from pneumonia or some other problem that occurs in severely deteriorated states of health. Those who develop the disorder later in life more often die from other illnesses (such as heart disease) rather than as a consequence of Alzheimer's disease

It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and is the third leading cause of death for Americans over the age of sixty-five. Almost two thirds of all Alzheimer’s patients are women, and though it seems to be much more common in females than in males, no one has discovered why. Those who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s experience an array of troubling symptoms. It usually begins with the person forgetting their short term memory. Because Alzheimer’s begins in the hippocampus – the learning part of the brain- they may have trouble remembering names when they are introduced to new people. In the second stage of Alzheimer’s disease, patients can expect to be disoriented at times, have sudden mood and behavior changes, and often develop suspicions about their family, friends, or caregivers. During the end of this stage, they may also experience hallucinations, delusions, and have extreme paranoia. During the third and final stage of Alzheimer’s, patients have difficulty speaking, walking, and swallowing. In this final stage, the brain shrinks to about one-fourth the size of a normal brain, and the person will most likely pass away. Those who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are expected to live only about eight years after their diagnosis, due to its progressive nature and worsening over

Although Alzheimer’s Dementia is believed to begin at age 65 and older, however recent studies has proven that dementia even begins at an early age with the older populations having a higher number. Based on recent reports, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people affected with dementia in the United States which continues to grow. The number is said to be around 5.5 Million ranging from all ages.  It IS estimated by the Alzheimer’s Association of America, that  in every 10 persons beginning at age 65 and older; 10% already have dementia with about two-thirds of them being women. The numbers of races affected by dementia are subsequently different, (Dementia in the Elderly, 1999). African Americans at younger ages pose

Alzheimer's disease is a broadminded disease that corrodes memory and other vital mental roles. It is the most common factor that leads to dementia which is a brain disorder that results in loss of academic and social skills. These changes can effect anyone severely enough to affect with everyday life. While having Alzheimer's disease, the brain cells corrupt and die, which causes a stable decline in memory and mental function. Currently Alzheimer's disease medications and management tactics may only momentarily progress symptoms. This sometimes helps people with Alzheimer's disease exploit purpose and preserve independence. But since there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, it is important to seek helpful facilities as early as possible.

How does a person maintain that connection when they can no longer remember their own story? Alzheimer’s disease patients understand this struggle more than anyone. Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive degenerative disease that strips its victim’s identities from them. It takes over their minds and their very lives. However, art therapists have begun the practice of understanding those losing cognitive processes. Art therapy with confirmation through mental autopsy is able to diagnose new cases with Alzheimer’s disease and separate the differences between senility, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurocognitive disorders. There is an increase in attempts to gain more research to discern fact from myth about why people develop this disorder or what the explanation is for how the disease forms to begin with, and if there is any cure. Many health facilities have conformed in order to accommodate for the challenges that arise accompanying this disease. To understand the basics of Alzheimer’s disease, one must learn how professionals read the signs and diagnose this disorder, what form it takes in an individual, probable sources for where it originates from assuming there is a known source, how art therapists have come to diagnose and comprehend complex minds with this disease, and how having this disease is not a normal development of aging. It is in fact a disease, deadly and violent to the brain’s

I chose Alzheimer's disease for my disorder, commonly known as senile dementia. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia which is a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities enough to disrupt every day life. Alzheimer's causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse with time. I think I would choose to prescribe Aricept (donepezil) for treatment because it can be used at any stage of Alzheimer's. The common side effects are appetite loss, muscle cramps, drowsiness and nausea. Aricept is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to donepezil hydrochloride or to piperidine derivatives. If about to take Aricept somebody should notify their doctor if they have

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disease for which there is no recovery. Slowly, the disease attacks nerve cells in all parts of the cortex, as well as some surrounding structures; thus impairing the capacity of the person to govern emotions, recognize errors and patterns, coordinate movement, and remember (Qué es la enfermedad de Alzheimer?, n.d., para. 1).

Certain qualities are consistently observed in the Alzheimer’s victim. These dysfunction’s, though, are not exclusive to Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, declaring Alzheimer’s by these parameters is a matter of degree rather than an absolute. Characteristic dysfunction’s have been noted in Alzheimer’s victims, but the degree and severity of these varies from patient to patient. Thus, evaluation of the patient’s mental status must be made based on the sum, rather than a single characteristic. Memory is one of the first noticed deficiencies, beginning typically with the recent and short term memory, and progressing from there as the disease grows more severe. In addition, deterioration in language skills, attention span, praxis (performance of an action), and visuospatial skills are commonly seen. Also observed are changes in the actions and personality of the Alzheimer’s victim. These include changes in mood, motor activities, activities of daily living, socialization skills, psychotic disturbances, vegetative symptomology, and rise in anxiety levels. Again, the

Current Alzheimer's pharmaceuticals can help for a period with memory side effects and other intellectual changes. Two sorts of medications are at present used to treat subjective manifestations:

Alzheimer disorder is an major nervous condition that present in irreparable loss of neuron in the cortex and hippocampus of the brain. The recurrence of the disease is 7% of people above 65 years old and 40% of individual above 80 years old. Patients commonly have issues in decision making, remembrance, and judgment. Pathological lineaments are specified as loss of neuron, extracellular senile plaques include peptide β-amyloid. Diagnosis is established on neurological feedback to rule out other reasons by using autopsy. Dopamine as neurotransmitter has an important part in etiology of Alzheimer disease and it is reduced in this disease.[3]

Currently, more than five million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s has also worked its way up to the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Not only does this disease take the lives of the victims, but it also takes a perhaps bigger toll on the caregivers. The longer a victim lives with Alzheimer’s, the more extensive time, effort, money, and caution a caregiver has to provide. Today, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. However, there are new treatments that slow the progression of the disease, and there are also new ways for doctors to diagnose it earlier. It is amazing that something that affects so many people is so difficult to have

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.

Psychology is an applied as well as an academic field that studies both the human mind and behavior. The research in psychology attempts to explain and understand behavior, emotion and thought. The subject of psychology was created when Wilhelm Wundt opened up the very first psychology lab in Leipzig, Germany. Wilhelm Wundt believed that individuals who are appropriately trained would most likely be able to recognize the mental processes that are accompanied with feelings, thoughts and sensations (Wagner , 2009).

There is no cure for this particular Alzheimer disease or other regular or common kind of dementia (Mayeux, & Sano, 1999). Researchers are as yet to understand completely, how this disease leads to memory loss and different issues with thinking and behaviour. Only few treatments available for Alzheimer disease which can make a difference where it helps to ease symptoms, or slow down their progression in some people for the time being (Mayeux, & Sano, 1999 ; Whitehouse, 1991).