When treating Alzheimer’s disease the main goals are to maintain mental function, manage behavioral symptoms, and slow or delay the disease. As of right now there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. There is also not much we understand about the disease or know its causes.
One reason of why maintaining mental function is a goal is because as Alzheimer’s progresses the disease begins to cause brain cells to die. When the brain cells die the connections to other cells are lost, this will cause one’s cognitive sense to worsen. Even though we do not have any drugs to stop the damage the disease causes, there are drugs that can help lessen symptoms. In the early stages of the disease Cholinesterase inhibitors are used. These inhibitors help to prevent acetylcholine breakdown, which is a chemical messenger essential for learning and memory. The inhibitors have shown only to work for 6-12 months and about on 50% of the people who take them. Side effects Cholinesterase inhibitors may cause are; nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and increased bowl movements. Three inhibitors mainly used are donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon), and galantamine (Razadyne). For moderate to severe stages of the disease, Namenda (memantine) may be used.
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People with the disease may exhibit irritability, anxiety, and depression in the early stages. In later stages they may exhibit agitation, anger, aggression, hallucinations, restlessness, verbal or physical outburst, and delusions. Medications given are antidepressants such as; citalopram, fluoxetine, paroxeine, sertraline and trazodone. For anxiety, restlessness and verbal behavior anxiolytics are given such as; lorazepam and oxazepam. Antipsychotics that may be given are; aripiprazole, clozapine, haloperidol, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone and ziprasidone. The use of antipsychotics should be seriously weighed for the risk of stroke and
This study will investigate and test how some medications can smooth the progressive advance of the Alzheimer in patients with more than 70 years. Alzheimer which is a degenerative disease of the neuro system due to memory loss is still being very questionable and debated. As of today there is no cure, nor reversal for the disease. Many researchers are still studding and looking for therapies and medication that can stop or reverse the development of the disease. It is very important to prove that some medications can help to cope with the disease. In my study I will be able to demonstrate
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But drug and non-drug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms
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
In drug therapy, studies show that cholinesterase blocker can reduce psychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer 's disease. Moreover, Alzheimer 's disease could cause insomnia, irritability, visual illusion, delusions and other symptoms. The drug such as hypnotics, antipsychotic drugs, antiepileptic drugs, anti-depression drugs will have good effects to those symptoms. Furthermore, study shows that neuro protective agent Namenda can block glutamate for the destruction of brain cells. Therefore, drugs that slowing down the continuing loss of life skills are currently the main treatments of moderate and severe dementia.
Diagnosis can be at any stage of Alzheimer’s Disease. The earlier the diagnosis, the better the patient and care takers can prepare a proper treatment plan and monitor progression. Alzheimer’s Disease may be treated with various drugs to help with cognitive symptoms such as cholinesterase inhibitors. Non-chemical treatments are used help with behavioral symptoms such as allowing
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive cognitive disease mostly affect the aging people, but it is not cause because of age. “A common misperception is that AD is a normal or expected occurrence of aging, and that it is part of the typical trajectory of age-related cognitive decline” ( Burock, & Naqvi, 2014, p. 36). The medications these people are taking on daily basis are to stop the progression of the disease instead of improve cognitive function. This is an irreversible. Whatever part of the brain that is already affected will not come back to the previous state. Alzheimer's drugs don't work for everyone, and they can't cure the disease. Over time, their effects wear off. Regine,
Medications can help for a time with memory symptoms. The current two drugs for Alzheimer is Cholinesterase inhibitors and Memantine. Cholinesterase inhibitors works by boosting levels of a cell-to-cell communication by providing a neurotransmitter that is depleted in the brain. Whereas the Memantine works in another brain cell communication network and slows the progression of symptoms with moderate too severe Alzheimer's disease. There are also other medications such as antidepressant, that are used to help control the behavioral symptoms.
Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects the central nervous system by impairing memory and other critical mental functions. It is a progressive disease, meaning that the longer a person has it, the worse their condition will become.
There is no cure for Alzheimer 's disease. So far there are only a few drugs that can slow down the effects of it. Donepezil (Aricept) is the main drug for the treatment of the disease for all stages, which is a cholinesterase inhibitor. This drug is an Acetylcholine booster, helps the memory neurons. Unfortunately this drug does not reverse or cure the disease. Donepezil is a cholinesterase inhibitor and it affects the memory neurons in the brain, preventing them from breaking down. My father has been on this drug for almost ten years now and has done very well. With women being at a greater risk for contacting Alzheimer’s disease, the use of estrogen after menopause has lowered the risk. Estrogen boosts the production of acetylcholine, a key chemical neurotransmitter involved in the transmission of nerve impulses across the tiny gaps between nerve cells (synapses). In addition, estrogen improves blood flow through the brain and enhances verbal abilities of postmenopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy.
Dementia is a general term for the decline in mental ability, severe enough to interfere with daily life. It is not a specific disease, but an overall term that describes a wide range of symptoms. Alzheimers has become the most common form of dementia. This being said, just because people suffer with memory loss does not mean they suffer from Alzheimers.
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).
The disease was first noted and observed in 1907 by a German physician, Dr. Alois Alzheimer.. In the neurological autopsy on the brain of Auguste D. , who died after several years of continuous mental deterioration marked by increasing confusion and memory loss. He also noticed a wierd disorganization of the nerve cells in her cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and memory. The cells were bunched up like a bunch of ants crawling. He also noted a shocking gathering of cellular debris around the affected nerves, which he named senile plaques. In a medical journal article published in 1905, Alzheimer speculated that the nerve tangles and plaques were responsible for the women s dementia.
Primarily, Cholinesterase inhibitors are prescribed to the patient to treat symptoms having to do with memory, thinking, language, judgment and other thought processes- the Cognitive symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine. When that happens it supports communication among nerve cells by keeping the levels of acetylcholine high. This medication is generally well tolerated by those who take it. However, if side effects do