...Biological Influences Neurotransmitters are a special chemical stored in vesicles in the terminal buttons. These buttons are located at the end of the axons. The neurotransmitters are released into the tiny spaces between the neurons called synapse. They carry signals from neuron to the dendrites of the next receiving neuron. (Davis & Palladino, pg 53). The effects of this action can vary depending on the neurotransmitter type and the location of the synapse. Two different outcomes can come out of this. One effect would be the neuron that receives the neurotransmitter might transmit the message to other neurons, which is called excitation. Or, the other effect would be that the neuron receiving the neurotransmitter becomes unlikely to transmit the message to other neurons, which is referred to as inhibition. This can have different effects on the body. Neurotransmitters actually impact our moods, aggression, motor skills, memory, and our sleeping behaviors. Too much or too little of particular neurotransmitters can play havoc with a persons health, and can cause a number of common illnesses. Acetylcholine was the first neurotransmitter to be discovered. It was found to control the activity with in the areas of the brain that relate to learning, memory, and attention. Acetylcholine also works within the junction of various nerves and skeletal muscles. (Davis & Palladino, pg.55). The muscles in our lungs that keep us breathing would be paralyzed without acetylcholine...
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...Alzheimer’s Disease a Fight for Information and Understanding ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease slowly deteriorates the brain, causing loss of both memory and the ability to control emotion. This review will discuss possible indicators, hypothesized causes, and both current and experimental treatments of Alzheimer’s. The disease mostly affects people over the age of 60 but can occur earlier. The problem with detecting Alzheimer’s early is that there are no clear indicators, and the changes in the brain progress before symptoms in the patient are visible. It’s hypothesized that the main cause of Alzheimer’s is neuronal plasticity and a build up of plaques. The plasticity leads to neuron tangles, causing blocks in synaptic signaling. Research on assays for detecting amyloid-beta ligands and disease treatments will need to involve human trails for future investigation. KEY WORDS: Alzheimer’s disease, neuronal plasticity, Tau-directed Therapy, amyloid-beta ligands, dementia INTRODUCTION Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a deteriorating disease of the brain that attacks neurons throughout the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus.1,2 The deterioration the cerebral cortex leads to the impairment of a person’s ability to control emotion, coordination, and the ability to comprehend configurations.6 The loss of memory caused by AD comes from the deterioration of the hippocampus.5 Alzheimer’s is most common in people 65 years or older, however for people with early onset Alzheimer’s...
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...REPORT FROM DR AL SEARS Disease-ending breakthrough STUNS researchers at Johns Hopkins... UCLA... and Baylor Imagine your doctor hands you a brand-new pill... At first glance it looks like any ordinary pill... maybe a little smaller, not so fake-looking. But what he says next leaves you breathless...“This is the last thing I'll ever prescribe you...” “It was formulated by UCLA researchers a few years back.”“Since then studies have documented its ability to cure 619 diseases — virtually everything that affects your health.” “And it has zero side effects — nobody has ever reported feeling anything but pure joy after taking it.”Now at this point you're already a bit floored... Could one tiny tablet really contain so much healing potential? But then he drops the bomb... Something that changes the way you think of your health and medicine forever...He tells you that despite being completely side-effect free... And costing only $1... 6,600 peer-reviewed studies have proven its superiority over the world's leading drugs. With this mountain of research he had no choice but to share it with you — and all of his patients. In fact, double-blind, placebo controlled trials have found it... * * Kills 16-times more cancer cells than the leading chemo drug Eloxatin — without harming healthy cells (International Journal of Oncology) * * “It's 400-times more potent than the diabetes drug Metformin” — reports Auburn University researchers (Journal...
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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: A Team-Based Approach to Health Care Susan Medhurst Grand Canyon University: HCA 515 10/5/2013 Unfortunately, there is no single form of identifying test that can tell you if you have Alzheimer’s or if you are just forgetful. For those patients dealing with other illnesses like thyroid problems, depression and other health problems, memory loss is a very common side effect to their illness, which makes identifying Alzheimer’s even more difficult (Alzheimer’s association, 2013). This disease often goes unnoticed until the patient has reached a moderate to advanced stage because of the commonality of the indicators in early stages such as forgetfulness of where you put your car keys (Alzheimer’s association, 2013). Currently over five-million American’s have Alzheimer’s. This number will begin to increase as the baby boomers age and life expectancy is extended. The risk of getting Alzheimer’s only increases as we age with number of people doubling every 5-year interval beyond the age of 65 (Alzheimer’s association, 2013). Case Study Eaton, a 72 year old male patient, was found roaming downtown Denver with no recollection of how he got there. Paramedics brought him to the hospital for evaluation. The patient presents with progressive memory loss, confusion, agitation, and doesn’t know his last name. Identification in his wallet helped the hospital staff contact his wife. Upon the wife’s arrival, the patient seemed distant and unable to identify his wife Ethel...
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...Running Head: DEMENTIA Dementia The many stages of dementia Crystal Pare University of Phoenix Worldwide, there are 35.6 million people diagnosed with dementia and climbs another 7.7 million each year, most cases, over the age of 65. Alzheimer’s, the most widely known symptom of dementia can be detected in a small amount of people, well before they are 65 years of age. There is, as of yet, no cure for Alzheimer’s disease (dementia), and the progressive range of organic brain diseases which are categorized by difficulties of short-term memory and other cognitive insufficiencies. There is very little in the way of treatment at this time, while scientists have been studying this disease for many years, and have started getting a better idea of the disease with constant successes. As dementia becomes more prevalent worldwide, proper diagnosis of the stages of dementia, each defined by its own distinct symptoms and behaviors, is key to providing effective treatment. Dementia is the loss of logical functions such as thinking, memory, and perception that is severe enough to inhibit with a person’s daily operations or functions. Dementia is not a group of symptoms alone, but somewhat a collection of symptoms caused by several diseases or ill conditions. Symptoms can include fluctuations in character, mood, and behavior. Some cases of dementia are treated and even cured because the source itself is correctable. Instances of this include dementia formed by substance abuse...
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...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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...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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...theory. Both of those theories have a different approach to the ageing, disposable soma theory is focusing on biological predispositions of ageing which say that once our genes damaged then ageing process start and a specific action cause it, however in disengagement theory the main focus is on psychological site of it, which means how people changing through the aging process and how they are reacting to it.In biological theory, we cannot predict how and why our body will get older but we can take procurations to slow down this process, such as by having a good and balanced diet. Thomas Kirkwood argued that damaged cells can repair themselves if have appropriate nutrients. If we look at the psychological theory we could see that it is focusing on the stages and interactions with other when people grow older. As people age, they tend to remove themselves from society for death.They remove themselves from their roles and society by placing elderly in care home facilitate that they stop being active. There are some similarities to the theories.Both of them are talking about declining. In disposable soma theory the genetic decline making body to age and in disengagement theory we can see that person declining from their lives. We can see that aging process affect people in biological and psychological ways. It could be that biological predispositions might trigger those psychological. If we think about that people in disengagement theory are starting...
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...researcher myself. Besides all this, from an early age, I have been in contact with many people suffering from various genetic diseases and disabilities. On daily basis I watch them by overcome their day-to-day difficulties and how they kept their hopes and spirits alive. However, their pain and suffering still there and this suffering is another cause of my interest towards biotechnology. Such things motivated me...
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... In this essay I will explain how the multi-factorial model of psychology affects a person’s psychological state and health, since they usually go hand and hand. The multi-factorial model is used by psychologists to examine how biological factors, environmental factors, sociocultural factors, personality factors, behavioral responses, and various stressors are connected to health. Biological factors include genetics, gender, age, ethnicity, medical history, and a person's family history of diseases or illnesses. Biological factors are pivotal to understanding the multi-factorial model because it aids researchers in identifying the diseases and other ailments that are a part of someone's family history. For example, if illnesses such as Alzheimer's and heart disease have been a part of an individual's family for many years that person may be predisposed to these illnesses, which increases their likelihood of getting these illnesses more than other people who do not have the family history of Alzheimer's and heart disease. Another part of the multi-factorial is environmental factors, including natural disasters, pollution, and water quality. Pollution is an environmental issue that can cause to illnesses. Carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas found in cigarette smoke, auto fumes, and smog, decreases the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood (Nevid and Rathus, 2005). Carbon monoxide affects people's cognition and alters someone's perception...
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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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...Neurodegenerative Disorders: Alzheimer’s Disease 1. Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains a major cause of senile dementia, which is characterised by an impairment of neuronal and synaptic function in addition to the accumulation of β-amyloid plaque and formation of neurofibrillary tangles within distinct portions of the brain (De Strooper and Annaert, 2000). Progression of this distinct pathology of neurodegeneration does not typically vary from patient to patient, beginning in cerebral cortex before targeting the hippocampus, neocortex as well as the sub-cortical nuclei (Braak and Braak, 1995). The role of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease is pivotal. The cleavage of APP by the proteases β and γ- secretase releases β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides which results in aggregation of the peptides due to misfolding to form fibrils of Aβ which comprise the key components of amyloid plaque deposits in the brains of AD patients (Glenner and Wong, 1984). Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a trans-membrane glycoprotein which normally functions in synapse formation as well as axonal elongation. The protein possesses a small cytoplasmic domain but is composed primarily of a large extracellular domain. Processing of APP in the extracellular domain by α or β- secretase results in the complete removal of the protein’s ectodomain which gives rise to an accumulation of sizeable and soluble derivatives of APP referred to as...
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...because of a psychological factor and can have features of deviance depending on the distress and the possibility of injury to their self or others. Abnormal psychology has a long history and has numerous types of dysfunction and abnormal psychology studies the causes and the possible treatments of the dysfunction of this disease. Primarily the research in the field has been done with Western perspectives and research method. Spiritually understanding of mental illness was recognized in ancient Western civilizations and in Eastern culture the scientific community has dismissed by the majority of the psychologist in modern times. The twentieth century there are two opposing perspectives on the etiology of mental disorders developed somatogenic physical origins and psychogenic psychological origins. The two have produced research and treatment methods. In abnormal psychology has been described as an area of psychology and the study of people who are unable to adapt and function in a number of conditions. There are four factors that contribute to how well the individual will be able to function and they include their genetic makeup, physical condition, socialization, and learning and reasoning. The biological model this method id adopted from a...
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...Life Extension Foundation All aging humans will develop some degree of decline in cognitive capacity as time progresses. Data indicates that deterioration of the biological framework that underlies the ability to think and reason begins as early as the mid twenties and includes a drop in regional brain volume, loss of myelin integrity, cortical thinning, impaired serotonin, acetylcholine, and dopamine receptor binding and signaling, accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles, and altered concentrations of various brain metabolites. Cumulatively, these changes give rise to a variety of symptoms associated with aging, such as forgetfulness, decreased ability to maintain focus, and decreased problem solving capability. If left unchecked, symptoms oftentimes progress into more serious conditions, such as dementia and depression, or even Alzheimer’s disease. Cognitive decline does not affect all individuals equally; clear associations exist between the rate and severity of cognitive decline and a variety of factors, including oxidative stress and free radical damage, chronic low-level inflammation, declining hormone levels, endothelial dysfunction, excess body weight, suboptimal nutrition, lifestyle, social network, other medical conditions, and various biomarkers. Fortunately, many of these factors are modifiable to a significant extent, and proactive lifestyle changes, cognitive training, and nutritional interventions have been shown to decrease the rate of intellectual decay and...
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