ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease that causes a progressive decline in cognition and memory. Gradually, the destruction of nerve cells occurs in brain regions related to memory and language. With the passage of time, the affected person faces more difficulty in remembering events, recognizing objects and faces, remembering the meaning of words and making judgments. Generally, symptoms appear after 65 years and the prevalence of the disease increases sharply with age. However, contrary to popular belief Alzheimer's disease is not a normal consequence of aging (Frank, 2009).

Discussion

Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia which is most common in older people and represents about 65% of dementia cases. The term dementia encompasses so many general health problems marked by an irreversible decline of mental faculties. Alzheimer's disease is distinguished from other dementias in a way that it develops gradually and affects mainly the short-term memory in its infancy. However, the diagnosis is not always obvious and it may be difficult for physicians to differentiate Alzheimer's dementia (Frank, 2009).

History

This disease is known as Alzheimer because it is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who was the first one to note the changes in brain tissues of a female. The woman was suffering from mental illness which results in death. According to him, some basic symptoms of this disease include communication problems, loss of memory and unpredictable behavior. Dr. Alzheimer examined the brain of woman after her death and as a result he revealed that several inflammations are responsible for it which is often known as twisted bundles of fiber and amyloid plaques. Currently, these two terms are also recognized as knots or neuro-fibrillary tangles. After conducting the whole experiment, Dr. Alzheimer came with a conclusion that the tangles and plaques are the main factors which drive this disease. However, the third characteristics responsible for this disease include the connection between brain and neurons (nerve cells).

Symptoms of the Disease

Memory problems are one of the first signs of Alzheimer's. Some people with memory problems have a condition called mild cognitive impairment which is amnestic type (often called as MCI). People affected by this deterioration face more problems as compared to the people who are normal. On the other hand, these symptoms are not as severe as those who have the disease. It has been said that the memory problems is the major sign of the very early stages of the disease. These results must be supported by other studies as they have shown promising results. Recent studies have found some links between movement problems and MCI (Chelsea, Martinson, Muwaswes, 1994). The researchers also have noted links between some problems with their sense of smell and cognitive problems. In this way, it can be said that there could be several symptoms of Alzheimer's disease as all body functions are directly associated with the brain. Some major symptoms of this disease are:

• Oblivion

• Depression

• Lack of awareness and no sense of place and time

• Inability to concentrate or communicate with others

• The ...