...to Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease Megan Zann April 27, 2012 Health Psychology Dr. Ackerman Introduction It is normal to periodically forget your keys or a homework assignment, because you generally remember these things later. However, individuals who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease may forget things more often, but they do not remember them again. The incidence of Alzheimer’s disease has dramatically increased because people are living longer. This is a result of advancements in medical technology that are increasing the human life span. That being said, now there is more responsibility placed on the individual and their caregivers to provide a supportive environment to combat this disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual, irreversible cognitive deterioration. The individual experiences a significant decline in their memory, language skills, perception of space and eventually, their ability to be self-sufficient and independent. Alzheimer’s disease takes a toll on the patients as well as their caregivers. “Being a caregiver for an ill or disabled loved one is widely recognized as a threat to caregiver’s quality of life” (Poulin et al 2010). The diagnosis of this disease affects the caregivers on physical, psychological, and social levels. Family, friends, and caregivers suffer from pain and stress as they witness their loved one experiencing the progression of the disease. Background “Alzheimer’s disease is the most common...
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...symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease but as of today there is no known cure for the disease. Most treatment options include drug therapy and non-drug approaches such as behavioral and environmental modifications. Cognitive enhancers are medications that attempt to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s symptoms. According to Esther Heerema MSW (Alzheimer’s Dementia Expert) two classes of medication have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer’s. They are Cholinesterase Inhibitors and N-Methyl D-Aspartate (NMDA) Antagonists. (http://alzheimers.about.com/od/treatmentofalzheimers/a/Treatment-Of-Alzheimers-Disease.htm) Cholinesterase inhibitors prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger important for learning and memory. This supports communication among nerve cells by keeping acetylcholine levels high. Researchers have found lower levels of acetylcholine in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. They delay worsening of symptoms for 6 to 12 months, on average, for about half the people who take them. If side effects occur, they commonly include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and increased frequency of bowel movements. There are three Cholinesterase inhibitors medications: Donepezil (Aricept) is approved to treat all stages of Alzheimer's. Rivastigmine (Exelon) is approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's. Galantamine (Razadyne) is approved to treat mild to moderate Alzheimer's. ...
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...Team A BCOM/275 October 9, 2011 UoP Instructor Should medical marijuana be legalized nationwide? The use of marijuana for the treatment of patients with serious health conditions is currently one of the top contentious debate topics in the United States. Until its prohibition in 1937, marijuana was one the top three most prescribed medicines in the United States. To date, 13 states have statutory laws legalizing medical marijuana; however, it is not legal at the federal level. Several pros and cons exist to support whether medical marijuana should be or not be legalized nationwide. The primary arguments in debating the pros and cons of legalizing medical marijuana nationwide focus primarily on medical benefits, disease prevention, medical risk, substance abuse, and legal issues. Many scientific professionals and patients claim medical marijuana provides some sort of medical benefits. Although it has been a contentious battle between the states and federal governments to legalize or not medical marijuana nationwide, there are three important points to take under consideration; first, marijuana is a potent analgesic in patients with chronic pain. Second, it is a strong anti-emetic for patients receiving cancer chemotherapy treatment. Third and most important, medical marijuana should be legal, so patients do not have to break the law to receive treatment. Across the nation state organizations strictly supervise medical marijuana to ensure it is...
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...Research Report 3 December 2014 Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s is a very common disease in older men and women usually beginning around the age of 65. This common disease is a disease that causes the brain to slowly decline and eventually results in memory loss (Signs and Symptoms). There are 44 million individuals around the world that this specific disease affects (Study Paves Way…). There are many causes and symptoms that can lead an individual to being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. However, there are multiple treatments that can help those who are suffering depending on what stage that specific person is experiencing. There are multiple different causes that can lead to Alzheimer’s Disease. One cause...
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...Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease is becoming a problem among society and the increasing age population. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, with prevalence of 5% after 65 years of age, and an increased prevalence of about 30% in people aged 85 years or older (Galimberti & Scarpini, 2011). There are many misconceptions that you must be “old” in order to develop Alzheimer’s disease, but this is not entirely true. Although increased age is the greatest risk factor, older people are not the only ones that can develop the disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016). Early (or younger) onset Alzheimer’s can also affect individuals that are as young as 40 or 50 years old, although this number comprises...
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...well, for example, it is ‘commonly used in the treatment of neurasthenia and for coma recovery’ [1]. Due to the closed relation between caffeine and health, we need to understand the positive and negative effects of caffeine, and then provide guidance on how to use it in a healthy way. The positive effects of caffeine Caffeine has beneficial functions on preventing or even curing some kinds of diseases. This advantage has been well testified on three fields: skin cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and liver disease. A US study has found that caffeine can decrease the risk of skin cancer [2]. They indicated that caffeine can boost the body’s natural progress, witch is called apoptosis or synchronised cell suicide. After consuming caffeine, apoptosis will increase 200 to 300 per cent. What’s more, caffeine can be linked to lower risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. Several earlier studies showed that caffeine can decrease the forming of cancerous cells, which may cause cancers. In addition to reduce the incidence of skin cancer, it has evidenced that caffeine not only helps to prevent Alzheimer’s disease but also can treat it [3]. Thanks for the peculiarity as one kind of rapidly absorbed organic compound, caffeine can enters the brain easily and directly destroys the disease process. Bata amyloid plaques is an abnormal protein which is harmful to nerve cells. By consuming caffeine, the incidence can be reduced. Another...
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...Abstract Alzheimer's disease involves cognitive disorders and problems with abstract reasoning in older people mostly. Alzheimer's disease has many behavioural and emotional characteristics which affects the victims of Alzheimer, as well as their families and those who care for them. The exact cause of Alzheimer is still not clear to us, not even after all these years of research. Till now, all we know is that a small proportion of Alzheimer’s disease is inherited, many scientist believe that there is some connections between a person’s environment and genetic make-up. According to statistics, more than 44 million people in the world have Alzheimer disease. By the year 2030, there might be a rise in the number of Alzheimer victims, up to...
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...degenerative disorder known more commonly as the Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD was first discovered by Alois Alzheimer, German neuropathologist, back in 1906 when he was performing an autopsy in the brain of a 56 year old patient (Chiappelli et al., 2006). Since that time, researchers have been trying to come up with new techniques and new information of how the disease works, as well as, how do AD patients and caregivers of AD patients cope and adjust the disease in their everyday life. Although, the disease was not examined fully when it was first discovered, scientists since then have made quite a few hallmarks...
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...Before processed foods, Americans had no choice but to eat whole, natural, raw foods. As our technology advanced, our need for food to not spoil grew as quickly. Though as preservatives, additives, and processed foods increased in our diet, the integrity of food declined. With our new abilities to package and preserve food, food came to have more and more preservatives and contain fewer nutrients. Processed foods should usually be avoided because, over time, they contribute to obesity and can lead to disease; in order to help avoid these problems, the public needs to be educated on the negative effects of most processed foods and they need to be made more aware of affordable healthy alternatives. Obesity is a problem in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control, 35.7% of adults are considered to be obese. The CDC also reports that obesity-related diseases or conditions are the second leading cause of death; some of these include: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even certain cancers (CDC, Para. 2). Obesity is typically caused by too many calories being ingested that are not burned off due to lack of exercise. The reason most do not get enough exorcize is because our society is addicted to eating on the go, and sitting – whether it be at work, driving, or in front of our home computer or television. Overeating is easy to do. For...
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...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...
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...There are many significant health issues that come with aging, one of which is Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys the memory and thinking skills of its victims. Eventually victims of Alzheimer’s lose their ability to complete tasks of daily living (National Institute on Aging, 2013). The discovery of Alzheimer’s disease was made by Dr. Alois Alzheimer upon an examination of the brain of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. The doctor saw changes in the tissue of the brain. The National Institute on Aging (2013) website states that the symptoms of the woman’s illness were: memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behaviors. In the examination of the brain, the doctor found abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers. The clumps are amyloid plaques and the tangled bundles of fibers are neurofibrillary tangles. These plaques and tangles are two of the main features that accompany Alzheimer’s disease. A third feature is the loss of connection between neurons (nerve cells) in the brain (National Institute on Aging, 2013). Developing some knowledge of what Alzheimer’s disease is will help people understand what the symptoms of the disease are, how the disease is diagnosed and what treatments can be used to help slow the progress of Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease: Symptoms The symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are tricky and can be easily written off as a sign of aging. It is not so...
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...This can be the reason why not everyone with Dementia experiences the same problems. Firstly you have to identify that there is a problem and then diagnosing the underlining cause is important for guiding the right treatment and to access the right services. Some causes of Dementia are treatable and reversible either partly or fully. This depends on the problem. Conditions like Anxiety and depression some vitamin deficiencies or side effects of certain medication or certain brain tumours can fall in to this...
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...Currently, Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States taking the over 80 thousand lives per year (Center for Disease Control, 2015), and as population continues to age, more people will develop Alzheimer’s. Therefore, a global epidemic is imminent and without a cure or a way to slow down the disease, it is something to be concerned about. However, this a disease that affects more people than just those who suffer from it. It is predicted that by 2050, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s will quadruple (Brookmeyer, Johnson, Ziegler-Graham & Arrighi, 2007). As the disease progresses, patients will need advanced care. This poses a burden to our society, as it will create an enormous strain on the health care system,...
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...Alzheimer’s Disease is an irreversible, degenerative brain disease that is marked by the build up of plaque and tangles in the neurons of Alzheimer’s patients, which induce memory loss and inhibit mental functions. Estimates vary, but experts believe as many as 5.1 million Americans are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s (Alzheimer’s Fact Sheet). Although there is no cure for the disease, early detection of Alzheimer’s is crucial because it allows the patient to immediately begin a drug regimen that slows the process of the disease. In modern medicine, two types of PET imaging, fluorodeoxyglucose and amyloid, are the most effective methods of diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease. The degenerative aspect of Alzheimer’s is caused by plaque and tangles in the nerve cells of the brain. Abnormal clusters of protein fragments called beta amyloid accumulate in the synaptic gap between neurons and block cell-to-cell signaling (Alzheimer’s Association). This build up of plaque may also activate an autoimmune response, which kills the deactivated cells (Medicine Net). Simultaneously, tangles in a protein called tau destroy a vital nerve cell transport system. Healthy transport systems are kept orderly and parallel by tau (Alzheimer’s Association). In Alzheimer’s patients, however, tau collapses in to twisted strands called tangles. The transport system can no longer stay parallel, which causes it to disintegrate. Key materials like food molecules and cell parts can no longer move through...
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...Psychology 111: Introduction to Neuroscience Course Paper Glia and Alzheimer’s disease Glial cells (also known as neuroglia, or simply glia) are small non-neuronal cells that have numerous functions to maintain a healthy brain. When Rudolf Virchow founded glial cells in 1856, glia was thought to be the glue, which held the nervous system together. (Kalat, 2013) This is not the case. In fact, glial cells are essential to support brain function. “Morphofunctional changes resulting from the plasticity of all the glial cell types parallel the plastic neuronal changes that optimize the functionality of neuronal circuits. Moreover, neuroglia possesses the ability to adopt a reactive status (gliosis) in which, generally, new functions arise to improve and restore if needed the neural functionality.” (Álvarez, M. I., Merino, J. J, Rodríguez, J. J, Toledano, A. & Toledano-Díaz, A., 2015) Due to these features, neuroglia cells can playa crucial role in Alzheimer’s disease. The most common forms of glia are Astrocytes, Oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, and Microglia. The most abundant type of glial cells in the brain is the star-shaped astrocytes. Astrocytes have multiple functions that include “regulating pH, storing and releasing glucose, detoxification, modifying the immune response, modulating synaptic activity, inactivating neurotransmitters, and inducing and maintaining the blood brain barrier.” (Freet, August 28, 2015) Oligodendrocytes are “located in the brain and the spinal...
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