Amyloid

Unfortunately, I have seen first-hand the devastation Alzheimer’s disease causes in someone’s life. My best friend’s aunt, and my Great Aunt were both diagnosed with Alzheimer’s when I was in grade school. I didn’t know anything about this disease, I only saw the progression and the clinical manifestations of the disease. The second aspect of Alzheimer’s that I didn’t understand was how doctors weren’t able to cure this disease. Our textbook, McCance and Huether state, “Some diseases, such as tuberculosis

This overview will include background and history of the disease dating back to its discovery by Alois Alzheimer in Germany. It will provide in-depth information on the anatomy and pathophysiology of the disease, specifically on the roles of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles and on how they progress; what happens as they progress through the brain. Other topics that will be briefly covered include etiology, epidemiology, treatment, and prognosis. Alzheimer’s Disease Background and

Alzheimer’s Disease: Genetic Analysis Introduction Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a profoundly common form of degenerative dementia that is caused by neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques accumulating in the brain (Sennvik et.al., 2000). The study of the human genome has elucidated gene variants; single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mutations which affect the age of onset and the likelihood of developing AD. Understanding the causes of familial AD, the genetic risk factors for AD and the

et al., 2017). Amyloid PET scan is a new imaging technique that directly visualize the amyloid plaques in the brain with high affinity binding of Amyvid (Florbetapir F-18) (Page et al., 2017). A positive amyloid scan indicates moderate to frequent amyloid plaques (Page et al., 2017). Amyloid scan should be utilized in addition to clinical diagnostic evaluation since elderly patients without AD can have a degree of accumulation of amyloid plaque (Page et al., 2017). A negative amyloid imaging is significant

suffering from the disease experience episodes of irreversible memory loss, changes in personality and confusion (among a plethora of other symptoms). Physiologically, the disease is characterized by the accumulation of insoluble amyloid beta plaques, derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Another characteristic marker for Alzheimer’s dementia is the Hyper-phosphorylation of the Tau protein which then aggregates to form insoluble neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), that inhibit a cell’s ability

the action of multiple genes characterize AD as a complex trait. One hallmark of AD is amyloid beta plaques, large aggregates found in the patient brains composed of the peptide, amyloid beta. These amyloid plaques form the basis for the primary hypothesis behind AD, the amyloid cascade hypothesis. The cascade begins with amyloid precursor protein (APP). APP is cleaved by two different enzymes to produce one amyloid beta monomer, which aggregates with other monomers to form cytotoxic structures. These

Echocardiographic findings include enlarged atria, diastolic dysfunction, and wall thickening due to amyloid deposition that typically results in low voltage on the ECG. Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR) and Light Chain (AL) cardiac amyloidosis are the most common forms; the latter results from a plasma cell dyscrasia. We present a case of rapidly progressive systolic HF from AL amyloid, treated with mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and chemotherapy. Case: A 74-year old male presented

comprised of accumulated proteins that formed a β-sheet rich tertiary structure, promoting a self-assembling property and becoming cytotoxic. These resulting structures are very similar in from and function to amyloid fibrils. Though not the sole cause of the degeneration, this amyloid like structure is predicted to have a strong connection with the disease. Evidence has also been provided by this research group that these Aβ plaques have a highly similar de novo generation as many prion positive

Alzheimer 's disease is a condition that affects the cognitive status of many people around the world regardless of wealth, ethnicity, intelligence or any other factor. A specific case study that demonstrates the destructive nature of the disease can be seen in the case of Akram. Akram was an 80-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension, diverticulitis, transient ischemic attack (TIA), and diabetes. Her history did include a serious head injury at the age of 45 from an automobile

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease. It is a form of dementia most common in older individuals, identifiable to scientists by the presence of amyloid plaques and tau tangles. Most individuals associate the disease with memory loss, unusual behavior and moods, and watching their loved ones fade away. While there are recognized genetic risk factors that may contribute to disease-onset, environmental and lifestyle factors also play a role in disease development. Five FDA approved medications