Alzheimer’s Disease

We live in an advanced world of technology and medicine. As much as many things positively impact society, numerous may also have a negative effect. Throughout the years, we were able to create cures through medicine that have allowed the life expectancy of the older generation to outlast the previous ones. But for many seniors, new problems arise that still require an antidote with the help of research and development. Even though females have a higher rate in life expectancy, they also have a greater chance in degenerating diseases; but both have an equal chance in getting a specific disease. One of which is the most common form of Dementia called Alzheimer’s that is caused within old age. Alzheimer causes memory loss and it goes from losing a little portion to even forgetting your entire past. This paper will discuss what happens with Alzheimer’s, who it targets, what are the signs of detecting this disease, and if there is a way to cure it. Alzheimer’s was first discovered in the early 1900’s by a German physician, Alois Alzheimer. He discovered the disease while observing a patient, a 51 year old woman named Frau Auguste D., who developed symptoms of memory loss and had difficulty understandings and speaking. After a few years of observations, Dr. Alxheimer discovered a progression of the symptoms which inevitably led to the death of the patient. Upon autopsy, abnormal impairment of the brain was discovered, along with a remarkable shrinkage within the cortex and outer layer that affected her thinking, judgment, speech and functioning[1]. Furthermore, he also observed small blood vessels filled with a widespread of fatty deposits and dead brain cells. From his findings he concluded that _________ it was in fact a degenerative disease. In November 1906, Dr. Alzheimer presented his findings at a scientific meeting; they were published and posted in medical literature in 1907. As we get older, so does our body mind and soul as well as the alarming rate of being diagnosed with Alzheimer. Between the ages of 65 and 75, it can reach an estimated 1 in 20 people and 1 in 5 over the age of 80. It now reaches people as young as 40 and as the years go by, this disease would have a greater impact and target more people. Many don’t know why this disease occurs so rapidly. It could be that our minds are not built to last as long as our body now does. It can only absorb so much information that once at old age; the brain cannot produce any more new cells. As with getting wrinkles, grey hair, vision impairment and many more things, it’s a natural way of life to live and die including the slow deterioration of the brain. It’s normal for old people to forget especially since their brain doesn’t function as well as it used to but when their memory problems become so severe that they cannot function alone, well then it’s abnormal. This disease reaches many individuals each year but who exactly is more likely to retrieve it within the older population? Although factors within the environment may have some contributions, what really increases the chances of retrieving this disease is through genetic predisposition. If your family or ancestors carried out this disease, then the possible chances of you retrieving it is very extensive. There is a very wide connection with those diagnosed with Down syndrome that may be connected with Alzheimer’s. Down syndrome contains an extra chromosome 21 which causes the early stages of development in dementia at age 35. The occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease is very relative with patients possessing Down syndrome. Families that have high rates of Alzheimer’s have been found to have mutations in chromosome 14 and 1; resulting in the production of irregular proteins. If a parent with Alzheimer’s inherits one of these mutated genes then other family members within the bloodline have a 50/50 chance of developing it. We may now understand the definition of Alzheimer’s and the age demographic it targets, but what major changes did this disease cause to the brain that produced such an impact? Well it was developed by a variety of changes; one of which was the development of plaque. There are certain types of proteins within the plaque called beta-amyloid which are relatively high within an Alzheimer’s patient. The beta-amyloid builds up in the brain and merges together to form an amyloid plaque. The second change occurring in the brain is the presence of neurofibrillary tangles. This consists of a protein called tau which conducts an important role in the arrangement of the neurons in the brain. This protein is afflicted by overactive enzymes in those with Alzheimer’s disease and results in the construction of cell-destroying “tangles.” The third cause is Brain inflammation. An excessive response is caused in the immune system because of the demanding effects of Alzheimer’s. This destroys the health cells because of the unprotective immune system. The last cause involves the widespread loss of brain cells. This disease constantly kills the brain’s nerve cells and causes brain shrinkage; affecting your memory and aptitude to think. These four changes ultimately construct the devastating causes Alzheimer’s develops on the brain. Alzheimer’s may have a variety of changes that affect the brain but what are the main stages of this disease? It’s impossible to fully develop a disease overnight, just like any other disease, it takes time and starts off small and progresses step through step. This syndrome is designed into seven stages that indicate this diseases progression. The first stage involves no impairment which means that there are no signs indicating a diagnosis for this disease. The person doesn’t have a frequent memory loss and is able to function and go on with their life normally. The next stage is minimal impairment or normal forgetfulness. This is when patients begin to have problems concentrating and start to think differently. Stage 3 is early confusion or mild cognitive impairment. People are still able to communicate efficiently but slowly develop shrinkage in their vocabulary and forget some past memories as well as small functions such as picking things up. The most evident problems include difficulty absorbing new information, temporary memory loss, and confusion. It can last as long as two to seven years. The fourth stage involves late confusion/ mild Alzheimer. This includes forgetting various recent conversations, unable to solve math problems and decrease in ability to conduct independent functions. Some examples include inability to shop for clothing or other objects as well as purchasing food independently. This stage requires increase support when performing independent tasks and lasts about 2 years until evolving into the next step. Stage 5 is early dementia and moderate Alzheimer’s. This is when the person diagnosed, can no longer hide the problem since it becomes more severe and evident. The person is unable to complete many tasks independently and needs assistance. They require help with tasks such as dressing, taking a shower, brushing teeth and eating. They frequently forget the time and date and have no understanding about their personal history like their telephone and contact information. They usually require supervision and this stage lasts about a year and a half. The second last stage is middle Dementia and moderately severe Alzheimer’s disease. Individuals forget both present and past activities. Their gradual control over bodily functions begins to decline so they tend forget when to go to the washroom and tend to repeat their actions both verbally and physically. As Alzheimer’s progresses they go into the last stage which is late or severe dementia or failure to thrive. This is when the Alzheimer’s patient requires an around the clock care and cannot recognize others nor remember their own identity. Their condition has now become so severe to the point that their unable to communicate with anyone, walk nor move around or complete any tasks without assistance. It’s difficult for them to ask for assistance since their unable to talk so are often frustrated and can only grumble, cry, and mutter in an attempt to speak. Their brain slowly attempts to shut down and severely shrinks destroying the sensory inputs. This lasts about one to 2 and half years, until the patient eventually dies. The brain is what makes you different from anyone else. It is the control center which allows you to express your feelings, emotions, and ability to conduct physical activities. You’re able to create your inner self through your personality which affects everything about you from your looks to what you establish out of your life. The main portion of the brain is the cortex which receives signals from other parts of the brain which then causes movement and reaction. The brain consists of four partial lobes that control all of our actions, both mentally and physically that send signals to the cortex. When a patient develops Alzheimer’s, it drastically affects these lobes causing brain damage. The brain is divided into a left side and a right side but the front part of it is called the frontal lobe. This part controls our actions and movements. For instance, if a ball is thrown at you, the brain automatically sends a message from the frontal lobe to the spinal cord which allows your body to react time. The frontal lobe also affects the decision planning and behaviour portion as well as ability to speak. If a patient has severe Alzheimer’s then it would affect their frontal lobe significantly, causing them to not make adequate decisions as well as control their bodily functions. The next lobes are the Parietal lobes. They are located near the end of the brain further behind the frontal lobes. These lobes controls your perceptions of things such as the sense of knowing where your feet and arms are located without looking as well as teaching yourself where everything is placed. Other areas of parietal lobes include the sense of music and art admiration located on the right side of the brain and the ability to solve math problems. Another lobe that is placed at the side of the brain, component of the cortex, between your temples and ears are the temporal lobes. These lobes help develop our abilities of understanding and being able to hear in order to communicate. Without this lobe, you wouldn’t be able to understand what others say, as well as learn different languages. Another portion of the temporal lobe is called the hippocampus, which helps store and build new memories. For an Alzheimer’s patient, loss of memory is a major indication and may be severe depending on what stage their facing of this disease. The fourth lobes are located in the end of the brain called the occipital lobe. These lobes create our ability to see. Vision is very important for a variety of things, such as driving, watching TV, reading a book and much more. All these lobes are all connected to one another and are vital for our thinking, actions and movement. Now we may understand the effects of Alzheimer’s but is there any way to prevent this disease? Over numerous scientific studies and research, there is yet to discover a cure. There is a race between researchers, academic centres and pharmaceutical companies to discover a medical drug that can help prevent the formation of tangles and plaques. One of the best methods to help protect yourself in advance before becoming diagnosed with this disease is to focus on you lifestyle and try to reduce the risks ahead of time and this known as “primary prevention.” So their actions intended to stop problems before they start. If a patient show’s early symptoms of cognitive impairment such as inability to think, remember, or learn then they should go to the doctor and try to get help in reducing the symptoms or their chance in developing Alzheimer’s. This is called “Secondary prevention.” A variety of drugs and supplements can help reduce the impact of the disease. These consist of Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Ginkgo biloba, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and cholesterol-lowering statin medications. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which is a substance that may protect nerve cells from breaking down. This helps delay the loss of working independently for an Alzheimer’s patient. So they have more time to complete independent tasks. They must only be taken under supervision from a doctor. Vitamin B12 and folate is another supplement important when converting the homocysteine to another amino acid called Methionine which increases the level of homocysteine. The elderly population that is twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s is the group that has low levels of folate and Vitamin B12 compared to those with a normal level.[2] The next one is Gingo Biloba which is an herbal medicine that contains compounds within a plant extract that may have a positive effect on the body and its brain cells. This medicine is well known in both China and Europe, as they use it to treat a variety of diseases including Alzheimer. There is yet no known evidence provided to prove that Gingo Biloba is effective; however, some studies have shown that it is helpful while others weren’t. Motrin or Aleve are types of anti-inflammatory drugs that are shown to help decrease the rate of Alzheimer’s within patients who have arthritis. There still has to be research conducted to make sure if drugs are acceptable for non-arthritis users and if it has the same effect. Cholesterol-lowering medications are known as “statins” because their medications always end with that name. These mediations have proved to have a profound effect in decreasing the risk of developing dementia by 50 to 70percent which was revealed in half-dozen research studies. [3] Cholinesterace Inhibitors can help decrease the symptoms of Alzheimer patients by increasing the levels of acetylcholine in the brain to help counterbalance for the loss of previous brain cells. Acetylcholine helps send messages to other brain cells, and once it completes its tasks, it is broken down and recycled by certain chemicals such as acetylcholinesterase. Alzheimer’s disease damages or destroys many cells that produce acetylcholine resulting in missed messages. Cholinesterace Inhibitors help slow down the destruction of acetycholine by blocking the movement of acetylchoinesterase. Various types of inhibitors include donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine. These inhibitors delay symptoms from about 6 months to a year compared to patients not taking it. Memantine is another drug that helps recover memory, concentration, perform activities and communication. It helps control the tasks of glutamate, which is a neurotransmitter that combines to its receptors on neurons which causes them to become excited. Glutamate excitotoxicity may cause damage to the brain so that’s why memantine is needed bock some of the receptors to decrease its damage. Other options in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s also include surgical procedures. Neurologist can perform a procedure called a spinal tap, which drains some spinal fluid out of the patients back with a needle. It helped slightly improve the memory of some patients with Alzheimer.

In conclusion, I recommend that more study should be conducted on this aspect because it’s a world wide concern. The increasing number of the elderly population in retrieving this disease is tremendous and begins to rise each year. We already know how the brain works and how Alzheimer affects the brain but now we need to learn how to prevent this problem. Many temporary treatments may slow the diseases progression but patients still decline into the late stage and die without knowing their own identity as well as their family and friends.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/336/17/1216

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=cost+of+alzheimers&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=0&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncpa.org%2Fsub%2Fdpd%2Findex.php%3FArticle_ID%3D14331

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[1] http://www.alz.org
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