Alzheimer's Disease - 8

Alzheimer ’s disease Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily life activities. Up to today there is no cure for Alzheimer how ever there is treatment for symptoms, but the research continues in search to one day find the cure to this deadly disease. Unfortunately it runs in my family my dad’s dad past away of Alzheimer at the age of 85, he died not remembering who my dad was and it was probably the saddest thing I have ever witness. Alzheimer is the sixth Leading cause of death in the United States with no cure, no treatment to stopping it from progressing. Alzheimer is one of the worse diseases due to the symptoms it causes. As we get older our bodies begin to change and slow down, we sometimes forget stuff or think slower but with Alzheimer you get serious memory loss to the point where you forget who you are. A first sign of Alzheimer is forgetting newly learned information due to the facts that Alzheimer begins in the learning part of the brain. As the disease progresses there is more visibility in the declines in abstract thinking and intellectual function development (Bronstein & Pulst, 2003). It gets worse and worse by the days affecting everything you once new. There is no clinical test that can determine if a person has Alzheimer disease. When symptoms start affecting a person life they examine the brain tissue using a biopsy and even then it’s hard to tell. A more accurate test is an autopsy it will show the typical signs of the brain shrinking and destroy blood cells. Doctors then perform a few more tests and check family history because often there is a probability it runs in the family. They also look at your history and run memory test for example counting by 2 or remembering names or pictures. If it gets worse they then diagnose you with Alzheimer. Research shows that there may be different genetic and nongenetic causes. Some genes cause the disease to appear early in life, while other genes predispose a person to the disease but require a trigger such as stroke, head trauma, or clogged arteries” (Maria Shriver) Our brain has so many cells in order to keep it running and working correct. A person with Alzheimer start growing plaques more than a normal person would and it’s hard for cells to fight so much plaque. Instead the plaques start killing the nerve cells and begin destroying the memory part of the brain which causes the memory loss. “Before long, the damage spreads to a nearby structure in the brain called the hippocampus, which is essential in forming memories. As more neurons die, affected brain regions begin to shrink. By the final stage of Alzheimer’s, damage is widespread, and brain tissue has shrunk significantly” (Alzheimer 's from the Inside Out by: Richard Taylor) “Alzheimer 's disease currently afflicts more than 5.4 million Americans and may triple in prevalence to more than 16 million Americans by 2050, according to data from The Alzheimer 's Association” (Alzheimer 's / Dementia Parkinson 's Disease 30 Oct 2009). Since 2000 deaths from Alzheimer have been rising by 66%. Majority of people with Alzheimer are in there older years of age, but that does not mean younger people can’t get it. According to the (Alzheimer foundation) up to 5% of younger adults start developing brain changes in the early 30s and 40s. They can live an average of 6 to 8 years after they been diagnose but some live up to 20 years depending on age and health conditions Alzheimer’s affects 5% of people over 65 and 20% of people over 80. Although there isn’t any treatment to stop Alzheimer if my dad or anyone in my family was diagnose with Alzheimer’s I would stand by them regardless, they are family. If they would no longer wanted me in there life I would respect that and would do anything I could to keep them happy.

References * The Science of Anti-Aging Medicine", editors: Dr. Ronald Klatz, Dr. Robert Goldman, 2003, p145-158: Parris M. Kidd "Aging and Brain: Phosphatylserine (PS), Breakthrough Nutrient for Memory Conservation" * Claudia J. Strauss. (2002) Talking to Alzheimer 's * Neil W. Kowall,& Andrew E. Budson (eds) (2011) The Handbook of Alzheimer 's Disease and Other Dementias (Blackwell Handbooks of Behavioral Neuroscience)

Nathalia Osuna
Alzheimer’s disease
Oct, 30th 2012
Mrs.Wilkie

References: * The Science of Anti-Aging Medicine", editors: Dr. Ronald Klatz, Dr. Robert Goldman, 2003, p145-158: Parris M. Kidd "Aging and Brain: Phosphatylserine (PS), Breakthrough Nutrient for Memory Conservation" * Claudia J. Strauss. (2002) Talking to Alzheimer 's * Neil W. Kowall,& Andrew E. Budson (eds) (2011) The Handbook of Alzheimer 's Disease and Other Dementias (Blackwell Handbooks of Behavioral Neuroscience) Nathalia Osuna Alzheimer’s disease Oct, 30th 2012 Mrs.Wilkie