...Dementia is a loss of mental function such as thinking, memory and reasoning that is severe enough to interfere with a person’s daily activity. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control, and they could experience personality changes and behavioral problems such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations. While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia. We all forget things as we get older. Many older people have a slight loss of memory that does not affect their daily lives so doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions - such as memory, language skills, perception, or cognitive skills including reasoning and judgment. All forms of dementia result from the death of nerve cells and/or the loss of communication among these cells. Things that may cause dementia are Strokes, tumors, or head injuries. Some diseases that cause Dementia are Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal dementia. In some cases dementia is caused by a problem that can be treated like underactive thyroid gland, not getting enough vitamin B12, and fluid buildup in the brain. Many types of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, Parkinson's dementia, and Pick's disease, are characterized by abnormal structures called inclusions...
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...release is going to discuss and evaluate the effects of aging on cognitive development. It is also going to discuss how cognitive neuroscience and Alzheimer’s disease play a role in how memory declines with information processing and working memory. Aging and Cognitive Development Aging plays a role on cognitive development as people get older. As people get older, their cognitive ability does not enhance but they are able to learn new things over time. One test, the Weschler test, deals with verbal and performance intelligence. These tests are rapid tests but are often misguided. These tests focus on verbal and language skills and remain consistent for cognitive development for aging adults, however, when given reasoning or problem-solving tests, their skills tend to slow down and their cognitive thinking is not as quick. According to Anderson (2009, p. 404), “the importance of these declines in simple measures of cognitive capabilities can be easily manipulated”. Cognitive Neuroscience Cognitive neuroscience works with dedicating itself to studying cognition in the brain and how information is processed. According to Anderson (2009, p. 12), “cognitive neuroscience develops ways to help one process the neural basis of cognition”. The brain has more neurons during birth and infancy but as adults’ age, the brain loses neurons which are very vital for cognition. “Loss of neurons is now recognized now to be more prevalent than first thought and the loss affects the...
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...| | 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 tasks. The basics Symptoms Changes in the brain | | Plaques & tangles Research | | Alzheimer's and dementia basics * Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Bottom of Form * Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Up to 5 percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer's (also known as younger-onset), which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s. Learn more: Early Onset Alzheimer's and Risk Factors * Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms become noticeable to others, but survival can range...
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...harder to “lose” a family member that’s alive. Alzheimer’s disease makes this nightmare a reality by taking away someone’s mental ability to perform normal everyday tasks and remember their most important memories. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerative, disease that affects the brain and can also profoundly affect you or someone you love. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells or neurons. The neurons slowly break their connections with other nerve cells and then begin to slowly die, resulting in memory loss, behavioral changes, and loss in thinking and language skills (About Alzheimer’s, Definition of Alzheimer’s 1). An estimated 5.1 million Americans may have Alzheimer’s disease and half a million Americans under the age of sixty-five have a kind of early onset dementia including Alzheimer’s disease (About Alzheimer’s, Statistics 1)....
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...got my article from WebMD and it gives a topic overview on what it is. It states that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of mental decline, or dementia, and dementia also has other causes. Alzheimer’s disease damages the brain. It causes a steady loss of memory and how well you can speak, think, and carry on daily activities. Alzheimer's disease always gets worse over time, but how quickly this happens varies. Some people lose the ability to do daily activities early on. Others may still do fairly well until much later in the disease. Mild memory loss is common in people older than 60. It may not mean that you have Alzheimer’s disease. But if your memory is getting worse, see your doctor. If it is Alzheimer’s, treatment may help. Alzheimer’s disease happens because of changes in the brain. These include lower levels of chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) that help brain cells work properly. What causes these changes is not clear. The risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease increases as you get older. But this does not mean that everyone will get it. By age 85, about 35 out of 100 people have some form of dementia. That means that 65 out of 100 don't have it. Dementia is rare before age 60. I agree with this article in the way that I know that Alzheimer’s disease is serious because people forget a lot of things and it’s also sad for the family because the relative with the disease can’t remember anything....
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..."Where has Yesterday Gone" Memory loss, like old age is a condition which mankind has always reluctantly recognized and always - with resignation. Memory loses are sometimes trivial and meaningless and go unrecognized. However, when these loses are so great that a person does not know who or where they are the concerns are quite grave. Although it is realize that Alzheimer's disease destroys the brain memory function, many do not realize precisely how the memory is destroyed once one is aware of the process, it becomes faster to work forward to alleviate the destruction. "Without memory there is no knowledge to recreate or reproduce past perceptions, emotions, thoughts and actions that are so vital to live a full and functioning life. Memory is the key that unlocks doors that keep us functioning, not only mentally but physically (Corrick 32)." "Memory loss is not a sign of decay (Freedman 10)." As we get older, there is some mild impairment in our recollection of recent events, such as forgetting why one went into a room or misplacing a person's eye glasses, which even young are guilty of doing. As reported by Larry Squire, "forgetting is quite normal and usually develops in the third decade of life, and by one estimate 85 percent of the healthy elderly - those over 65--suffer some memory impairment (59)." According to Dr. Seligmann, "forgetting is the process through which information in memory becomes inaccessible, either because it is stored but is not at that time retrievable...
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... No Way Out but Death Alzheimer’s disease is the most common case of dementia; it is generalized degeneration of the brain that destroys many mental functions and can occur in middle to old age. Although it is most common in old age it is not a normal part of the aging process and can also effect younger people. This is known as early-onset Alzheimer’s. The lifespan of people with the disease varies but it usually about 8-10 years and in some cases, has been 20 years. There has not been enough reach to know if Alzheimer’s is inherited but certain genes do make someone more likely to develop it. There are three stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and although...
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...Alzheimer's disease was discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who did a great deal of research in the early 20th century regarding the disease. Research implies that there are some risk factors that seem to be linked in people with Alzheimer's disease. Much research has been done to try and track the origin of Alzheimer's disease, and many include environmental and genetic causes. (3) Alzheimer's is classified into two types; familial AD, which runs in families and follows inheritance patterns, and sporadic AD, in which no clear pattern of inheritance is found. Family history is considered a major risk factor. Individuals who have a relative with the disease are much more likely to develop it themselves. (4) Alzheimer's affects over four million people in the United Stares. Researchers predict that as the baby boomer generation begins to age, Alzheimer's could impact as many as 14 million people nationwide. The number of Alzheimer's cases is growing rapidly, afflicting 10% or more of people aged 65 or older and almost half of those over age 85. Alzheimer's is slightly more prevalent in woman than men. (3) Aging greatly increases the risk of developing Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is usually seen in those over age 65, a rare and threatening type of Alzheimer's can occur in younger people in their 40s and 50s. This type is usually a result of family history or traumatic brain injuries experienced earlier in life. Aging in normally associated with the decline in the abilities to remember...
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...College There is a debilitating disease that is “affecting an estimated 4 to 5 million adults” (Hahn, Payne, and Lucas 2011), this disease is known as Alzheimer’s disease. The first topic that will be discussed will be symptoms and diagnosing the disease. Secondly how it progresses and the stages associated with it, along with the two main types of Alzheimer’s disease. The last topic will be the possible causes, risk factors and medications available to the sufferer. “Alzheimer’s disease dementia is a progressive degenerative brain disease and has no known cure. It is the most common form of dementia and eventually leads to death. Alzheimer’s disease significantly impacts the patient’s ability to function cognitively, which is the most apparent symptom of the disease.“ (http://www.alzheimersdisease.com/info/what/what-is-alzheimers-disease.jsp?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=+causes%2Bof%2B+alzheimer's%2B%2B%2B&utm_campaign=Unbranded%2BSigns%2Band%2BSymptoms%2B5/11&gclid=CIrGwvG9l6wCFYpb7AodaSjuUA). There are several symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease listed on the website www.alzheimersdisease.com[->0] including misplacing things. Objects are not just being misplaced but being placed in areas they should not be an example of this is instead of placing a purse on the counter when a person walks into the house they may place it in the freezer or refrigerator. Everyone may lose something for a short amount of time but when the object...
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...The Story of My Search Ever since I found out that my grandpa, great grandma, and other relatives had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, I've been curious of what it really is. I knew it wasn't good news, so I was kind of scared of what was happening, being so young. I thought of the few basic questions average people don't tend to know the answers to: How is Alzheimer's caused? What changes go through the brain with people who have it? Is it preventable? The only knowledge I really had about the disease was that you lose your memory to where you don't know familiar people's names, older people get it, and that it can be spread down from your parents or through your family. I was nervous for my parents, siblings, and I because it has ran down both sides of my family, so...
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...Professors, Nicole Elliot-Laboray and Alan Bryant Sickness and Insanity Many people will hear that another has a disease in their brain and assume them potentially insane, if not outright. The brain is the place where all logic is formed and all action is defined. It then stands to reason that any attacking force will break the calculator. This however, is a poor assumption to make, as no two diseases behave in the same way. The Origins of both Acromegaly and Alzheimer’s for instance, are as unique to one another as their behaviors within the body. Acromegaly has an odd sounding name. Its Latin root words are “Acro”, meaning “High” and “Megaly”, meaning “Abnormal growth” or enlargement. This particular disease occurs below the brain and around the pituitary gland. Alzheimer’s has a different origin, entirely, having been named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who discovered the disease; it affects the brain directly. While the two chronic diseases Acromegaly and Alzheimer’s exist near the brain, their effects to the host can be extremely different; by way of cause, growth, signs, and long term effect; this fact should be understood and respected. From their inception, Acromegaly and Alzheimer’s differ from one another on even the most fundamental of levels. While no one is certain of the catalyst, it is known that one disease is concerned with tissue growth while conversely, the other causes tissue death. Typically, Acromegaly is caused by the growth of a tumor. Tumors...
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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 (AD), also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease, is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. It was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him. Most often, AD is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although the less-prevalent early-onset Alzheimer's can occur much earlier. In 2006, there were 26.6 million sufferers worldwide. Alzheimer's is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050. Although Alzheimer's disease develops differently for every individual, there are many common symptoms. Early symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress. In the early stages, the most common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. When AD is suspected, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with tests that evaluate behaviour and thinking abilities, often followed by a brain scan if available. As the disease advances, symptoms can include confusion, irritability and aggression, mood swings, trouble with language, and long-term memory loss. As the sufferer declines they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Since the disease is different for each individual, predicting how it will affect the person is difficult. AD develops for an unknown and variable amount of time before...
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...Being the fourth leading cause of death in adults and the seventh leading cause of death of all individuals in the US, Alzheimer’s affects 5.3 million Americans, like president Ronald Regan . Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common of dementia and rises steeply with age . AD is a progressive mental deterioration of the brain where the disease attacks the brain’s nerve cells, which results in progressive thinking, judgment, and memory loss . These symptoms last for decades. Eventually, individuals with this disease will be unable to remember facts, family members or events . Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s will kill the diseased person. Changes in the brain, which are caused by Alzheimer’s, contribute to the death of the individual, but the...
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...Alzheimer's Disease Introduction to Alzheimer's Alzheimer's disease is a progressive degenerative disease of the brain. It is first described by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) in 1905. This disease worsens with advancing age, although there is no evidence that it is cause by the aging process. The average life expectancy of a person with the disease is between five and ten years, but some patients today can live up to 15 years due to improvements in care and medical treatments. The cause of Alzheimer's has not been discovered yet and it cannot be possible to confirm a person has Alzheimer's until their autopsy following death. How does Alzheimer's develop What causes Alzheimer's? Well no one know exactly the development of this debilitating disease. But recent advances has produced several clues as to how it is born. Initially when we study the brain of a Alzheimer's victim, we focus on two specific areas. One is the cortex of the frontal and cerebral lobes1. The second is the hippocampus (meaning seahorses in Greek which it resembles2) which is located below the cerebral cortex and responsible for short-term memory. If we study samples of these two section, we would find three irregularities which are not found in normal brain matter. These three are called neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plagues and granulovacuolar degeneration3. A nerve cell has numerous axons and dendrites coming out...
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