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Alzheimer’s Disease
(Biology Project)
Sharan S
XI C
Bala Vidya Mandir
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Overview
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive form of dementia. Dementia is a broader term for
conditions caused by brain injuries or diseases that negatively affect memory, thinking,
and behavior. These changes interfere with daily living.
Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Most people with
the disease get a diagnosis after age 65. If it’s diagnosed before then, it’s generally
referred to as early onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Discovery
On November 3, 1906, a clinical psychiatrist and neuroanatomist, Alois Alzheimer,
reported “A peculiar severe disease process of the cerebral cortex” to the 37th Meeting
of South-West German Psychiatrists in Tubingen, He described a 50-year-old woman
whom he had followed from her admission for paranoia, progressive sleep and memory
disturbance, aggression, and confusion, until her death 5 years later.
Symptoms
To receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer's, the person must have experienced a decline in
cognitive or behavioral function and performance compared with how they were
previously. This decline must interfere with their ability to function at work or in usual
activities.
The cognitive decline must be seen in at least two of the five symptom areas listed
below:
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1. Reduced ability to take in and remember new information, which can lead, for
example, to:
3. Impaired visuospatial abilities that are not, for example, due to eye sight problems.
These could be:
If the number and severity of symptoms confirm dementia, the following factors can then
confirm Alzheimer's.
Alzheimer's is most likely when memory loss is a prominent symptom, especially in the
area of learning and recalling new information.Language problems can also be a key
early symptom, for example, struggling to find the right words.
If visuospatial (Visual and Spatial awareness) deficits are most prominent, these would
include:
Causes:
● Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the abnormal build-up of
proteins in and around brain cells.
● One of the proteins involved is called amyloid, deposits of which form plaques
around brain cells.
● The other protein is called tau, deposits of which form tangles within brain cells.
● As brain cells become affected, there's also a decrease in chemical messengers
(called neurotransmitters) involved in sending messages, or signals, between
brain cells.
● Over time, different areas of the brain shrink. The first areas usually affected are
responsible for memories
Stages of Decline:
Stage 1: No Impairment
During this stage, Alzheimer’s is not detectable and no memory problems or other
symptoms of dementia are evident.
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ability to communicate or respond to their environment. While they may still be able to
utter words and phrases, they have no insight into their condition and need assistance
with all activities of daily living. In the final stages of Alzheimer’s, people may lose their
ability to swallow.
No cure exists, but medication and management strategies may temporarily improve
symptoms. Patients frequently take medication prescribed to improve cognitive
functions. However there is currently no cure.
Citations:
Healthline. (2019). E
verything You Need to Know About Alzheimer’s Disease. [online] Available at:
https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].
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Hanns Hippius, G. (2019). The discovery of Alzheimer's disease. [online] PubMed Central (PMC).
Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181715/ [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].
WebMD. (2019). Alzheimer's Disease Treatment: Medications and Therapies. [online] Available at:
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-disease-treatment-overview#1 [Accessed 24
Feb. 2019].
En.wikipedia.org. (2019). A
lzheimer's disease. [online] Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alzheimer%27s_disease [Accessed 24 Feb. 2019].