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Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

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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. …show more content…

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

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