...| | 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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...What is Alzheimer’s disease? Why should people know about it? This is a disease that causes more than just memory loss. Alzheimer’s is a Neurodegenerative Brain disease, and is a common cause of dementia. It currently affects over 5 million Americans, and it is also the 6 leading cause of death in the United States (Alzheimer's Association (2014). A lot of people are not fully aware of the impact this awful disease has; not only on the victim but the caregiver as well. I chose topic of Alzheimer’s disease because I want to shed some light on the history, the effects on the families, and the hope for a cure. I have been around Alzheimer’s disease since I was about 8 years old. Being that I was so close to my mother I watched her take care of my grandmother who had Alzheimer’s; then again as a teenager I helped her take care of my aunt who also had this disease as well. I have been affected by this disease in numerous ways mentally and emotionally but the real impact didn’t hit until my mother was diagnosed with the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s. History As a neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer studied a case of a 51 year old woman when she died, Alzheimer performed an autopsy and discovered that she had “cerebral atrophy” (deterioration of the brain), “senile plaques” (protein deposits) and “neurofibrillary tangles” (abnormal filaments in nerve cells) in the brain- three common pathological features of people who have Alzheimer’s disease ( Ramanathan, 1997). Diagnosis ...
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...Alzheimer’s Disease: Not Just Loss of Memory This is a 8 page, 10 resource paper discussing Alzheimer’s disease, discussing the history, symptoms, diagnosis and hopes for a cure of the disease. Alzheimer’s Disease: Not Just Loss of Memory Introduction Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative brain disease, is the most common cause of dementia. It currently afflicts about 4 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Furthermore, Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of mental impairment in elderly people and accounts for a large percentage of admissions to assisted living homes, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities. Psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, have been reported in a large proportion of patients with this disease. In fact, it is the presence of these psychotic symptoms can lead to early institutionalization (Bassiony, et all, 2000). Learning about Alzheimer’s disease and realizing that it is much more that just a loss of memory can benefit the families of those with the disorder as well as society as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to look at the disorder, as well as to discuss the history, symptoms, diagnosis and hopes of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. History Around the turn of the century, two kinds of dementia were defined by Emil Kraepin: senile and presenile. The presenile form was described more in detail by Alois Alzheimer as a progressive deterioration of...
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...Alzheimer’s Disease: Not Just Loss of Memory Introduction Alzheimer's disease, a neurodegenerative brain disease, is the most common cause of dementia. It currently afflicts about 4 million Americans and is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. Furthermore, Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of mental impairment in elderly people and accounts for a large percentage of admissions to assisted living homes, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities. Psychotic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, have been reported in a large proportion of patients with this disease. In fact, it is the presence of these psychotic symptoms can lead to early institutionalization (Bassiony, et all, 2000). Learning about Alzheimer’s disease and realizing that it is much more that just a loss of memory can benefit the families of those with the disorder as well as society as a whole. The purpose of this paper is to look at the disorder, as well as to discuss the history, symptoms, diagnosis and hopes of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. History Around the turn of the century, two kinds of dementia were defined by Emil Kraepin: senile and presenile. The presenile form was described more in detail by Alois Alzheimer as a progressive deterioration of intellect, memory and orientation. As a neuropathologist, Alzheimer studied the case a 51 year-old woman. When she died, Alzheimer performed an autopsy and found that she had “cerebral atrophy”...
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...Dementia Alzheimer’s I. INTRODUCTION a. Attention Device – Alzheimer’s disease has had a huge impact on many lives. The Alz.org, estimates that about a half million Americans younger than age 65 have some form of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. 1 in 9 people over the age of 65 is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. b. Tie to the audience – Everyone has a loved one over the age of 65 or may know someone who has a tough time remembering things, and even witness strange behavior in elderly people. Behaviors such as wearing multiple layers of clothes, aggressiveness and even lack of communication. These may very well be symptoms c. Credentials – In 2009 my grandmother, who was 69 years of age was diagnosed with dementia Alzheimer’s. I have sought...
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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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..."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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...Professor Staab Psychology April 28, 2012 Prolonging the Inevitable Alzheimer’s disease was named after a German neuropathologist and psychiatrist by the name of Aloysius Alzheimer who is credited with identifying two symptoms of the disease; amyloid plaques and neurofribrillary tangles in the brain. It is important to understand that Alzheimer’s disease is not a type of dementia; it is simply a disease that causes dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable progressive disease that can take up to twenty years to advance, but typically takes between eight to ten painful years for the Alzheimer’s sufferer and their family. Christian Nordqvist author of What is Alzheimer’s Disease? What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease? states that “During the course of the disease plaques and tangles develop within the structure of the brain. This causes brain cells to die. Patients with Alzheimer’s also have a deficiency in the levels of some vital brain chemicals with are involved with transmission of messages in the brain – neurotransmitters” (1). The disease is typically broken down into three common stages that people experience: mild, moderate, and severe. As well as the duration, the length of each stage can vary depending on the person, as Rosemary Blieszner and Peggy A. Shifflett confirm in their article The effects of Alzheimer’s Disease on Close Relationships Between Patients and Caregivers, “This disease is very unpredictable in terms of duration and nature of symptoms, with...
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...parents, friends, spouse, your address, relatives, even your own name! Scary feeling isn’t it? Alzheimer's is not just a disease of old age. Alzheimer's affects people younger than age 65. Up to 5 percent of the more than 5 million Americans with Alzheimer’s have younger-onset. Many people with early onset are in their 40s and 50s. Defined by the Mayo Clinic - Alzheimer's is a irreversible disease that causes the brain cells to degenerate and die causing a steady decline in memory and other important mental functions. It's the most common cause of dementia. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning—thinking, remembering, and reasoning—and behavioral abilities — these brain disorders result in the loss of intellectual and social skills and interfere with day-to-day life. Alzheimer's disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps. Alzheimer’s disease affects approximately 5.3 million people and is ranked 6th for cause of death in America. A question you may ask is can someone die from Alzheimer’s I would have to say yes. Now you are wondering how can one die from memory loss…well typical complications of Alzheimer's are heart attacks, thromboembolisms (blood clots), strokes, kidney failure, and lung infections...
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...memories that we lost. With the increase in the technologies, we increase in diseases connected with middle aged people. Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is one of the common diseases that is affecting middle-aged people. Although...
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...Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, degenerating disorder that affects the brain cells. It is NOT a normal part of aging and it is also not something that happens inevitably in later life. The disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician in 1906, after he had performed an autopsy on the brain of a dead woman who had experienced severe memory loss, confusion and difficulty understanding questions and found dense deposits around her nerve cells. It is the most common type of dementia, which is a progressive dysfunction of the brain which results in a restriction of daily activities. A lot of kids grow up being first introduced to this disease in their grandparents or older people in their...
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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.[1] Most often, AD is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age,[2] although the less-prevalentearly-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.[3] Although Alzheimer's disease develops differently for every individual, there are many common symptoms.[4] Early symptoms are often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress.[5] 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.[6] 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.[5][7] Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death.[8] Since the disease is different for each individual, predicting how it will affect the person is difficult. AD develops for an unknown and variable...
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...Alzheimer’s disease General Psychology Term Paper Assignment Monday Night Class Abstract In the society that we are living right now, we can find a lot of different kinds of illness and health problems. A large number of these diseases have a cure and they also have a happy end; but there is one that does not. Over the past 20 years, Alzheimer’s disease came from an unknown dark side. Once studied as a strange disorder; it is one of the most common health problems that affect a lot of people around the world and their families. More of a 90% of Alzheimer’s disease cases shows up in people around 60 years old. Even do we ignore how this treats starts; science people have found that the change inside the brain starts 10 to 20 years before we can observe the symptoms. Knowing a little more about this illness, will help us to understand these people that are in need of love, attention and comprehension. Alzheimer’s disease In the society that we are living right now, we can find a lot of different kinds of illness and health problems. A lot of these diseases have a cure and they also have a happy end; but there is one that does not. Alzheimer’s disease is a very ordinary illness that severely affects our society, specially the older population. It is a fact that we have to deal with. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people out there that suffer...
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...Issues Affecting the Aging University of Phoenix Human Development BSHS 342 February 28, 2011 There are many issues that arise when a person is aging. A person will go through mental, spiritual, physical, and financial stages in his or her life. Sometimes the body changes dramatically on the outside as well as the inside. A person cannot run as fast as they could five years ago, or turn a jump rope as he or she could a year ago. How a person takes care of his or her body would play a huge part in how it will act later in life. As a person gradually moves into the late adulthood stage, he or she may notice his or her hair is starting to get thin around the edges. He or she may notice more grey hair keep resurfacing, no matter how much he or she dye his or her hair, the grey hair seems to come back faster. Some people start getting wrinkles around the mouth and forehead. The skin seems to always be dry, no matter how much a person try to keep it moisturize, a person skin does not seem to hydrate anymore. There are a number of health issues that can arise as a person gets older. It is important to eat healthy and exercise regularly. When a person does not get enough calcium in his or her body, he or she can develop weak bones, along with blood clotting. Osteoporosis is a result from weak and porous bones. Hip fractures result in loss of independence, which happens to many seniors. Seniors eating habits decrease, and some go through a day without eating or getting...
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...9/25/2013 PS124-05 Rachael Patton 9/25/2013 Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease Have you knew someone with Alzheimer’s or knew someone that had a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease, if you have then you know that it is a very hard thing to deal with. To have someone look at you as though they don’t know you? Or have you ever wondered why they call it Alzheimer’s disease well according to the National Institute on Aging is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, he had noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman that died of an unusual mental illness. The woman’s symptoms included memory loss, language problems and unpredictable behavior. After she had died he had found many clumps in the brain which are now called amyloid plaques and tangled bundles of fibers called neurofibrillary tangles. Plaques and tangles of the brain are the two main features of Alzheimer’s disease, so as you can he is the one who first discovered Alzheimer’s disease and that is why it is named after him. Now although I have not had any kind of experience with this disease, I felt that it is an important disease to research because I want to know how to prevent this disease from happening to me or someone that I love. In order for me to do this I have to understand why and how the parts of the brain that causes this disease to malfunction and cause people to lose their memory. According to the Cleveland Clinic Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that damages the nerve cells or (neurons) in...
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