Disease Overview
Alzheimer’s disease is one which has been in the forefront of medical research for the past 30 years. While many researchers and doctors have dedicated their careers to exploring this disease, a cure has still not been found and hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide are suffering daily from this life altering disease.
Estimates have been made that if a cure is not soon found for this disease, by the year 2050, almost 120 million people worldwide will be living with it. In fact, if the amount of money being spent on the care of these patients was compared to the annual revenue of Wal Mart, it would exceed it by almost 50%. The most stagering thing about these numbers is that its estimated that only 20-50% of individuals who have alzheimer's disease have actually been diagnosed with it.
Before a cure can be found, it’s essential that the disease is much more understood. Research for many years has pointed to the "tangles" and "plaques" as being the culprits in the progression of the brain degeneration. Researchers have observed that abnormal plaque formations of beta amyloid proteins as well as abnormal tangles of Tao protein cause disruptions in the movement of electrical charges through the brain as well as the activity of the neurotransmitters on the neurons. This disease causes these disruptions in a predictable pattern in the brain which has been shown to affect learning, memory, thinking, planning, and personality in the patients. In cases of severe Alzheimer's disease, atrophy of the hippocampus as well as enlargement of the ventricles results in an actual shrinkage of the patient’s brain.
Estimates have been made that if a cure is not soon found for this disease, by the year 2050, almost 120 million people worldwide will be living with it. In fact, if the amount of money being spent on the care of these patients was compared to the annual revenue of Wal Mart, it would exceed it by almost 50%. The most stagering thing about these numbers is that its estimated that only 20-50% of individuals who have alzheimer's disease have actually been diagnosed with it.
Before a cure can be found, it’s essential that the disease is much more understood. Research for many years has pointed to the "tangles" and "plaques" as being the culprits in the progression of the brain degeneration. Researchers have observed that abnormal plaque formations of beta amyloid proteins as well as abnormal tangles of Tao protein cause disruptions in the movement of electrical charges through the brain as well as the activity of the neurotransmitters on the neurons. This disease causes these disruptions in a predictable pattern in the brain which has been shown to affect learning, memory, thinking, planning, and personality in the patients. In cases of severe Alzheimer's disease, atrophy of the hippocampus as well as enlargement of the ventricles results in an actual shrinkage of the patient’s brain.
What Are Plaques and Tangles?Pathologies of Alzheimer's patients brains have demonstrated the presence of plaques and tangles which are currently seen as the cause of the disease. Both become abundant in the brain when oxidative stress leads to abnormal folding and deposits of naturally occuring proteins. These abnormally formed proteins are seen as the cause of the neuron death and brain atrophy which are diagnosed as Alzheimer's Disease. While these have been the most researched possible causal agents of the disease, promising new research points to another cause which is discussed in depth here.
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Progression of Alzheimer'sUp to 20 years before diagnosis- plaques and tangles can be found in the brains of humans who will develop full blown Alzheimer's Disease. This stage will show effects on the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain resulting in symptoms of memory loss and trouble with thinking and planning.
Mild to moderate symptoms of the disease may last for 2-10 years. This progression begins to further effect the temporal lobe and its ability to understand speech as well as impairs the partial lobe's sense proprioception. Severe Alzheimer’s can last from 1-5 years and during this time most of the cortex is effected and brain shrinking is drastic. This stage can lead to immobility, dysphagia, and loss of bowel control; any of which can and will ultimately lead to the patient’s death. |
Signs of Alzheimer's Disease
While memory loss is a normal part of aging, Alzheimer's Disease is not. Is important to know how the signs of Alzheimer's Disease differ from normal aging in order for early diagnosis and early treatment of symptoms which occure.
Signs of Normal Aging- Making a bad decision once in a while
- Missing a monthly payment - Forgetting which day it is and remembering later - Sometimes forgetting which word to use - Losing things from time to time |
Signs of Alzheimer's Disease- Poor judgment and decision making
- Inability to manage a budget - Losing track of the date or the season - Difficulty having a conversation - Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to find them |