Final assignment for Neurobiology course.

1. DEMENTIA
ALZHEIMER’S
Laura Taylor

2. WHY DID I
CHOOSE
DEMENTIA
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My grandfather is 89 years old and has dementia. We
probably first noticed he was starting to become
forgetful about 5 or 6 years ago. This past year he has
become more confused, forgetful and required more
care. On a less personal note I also work full time as a
nurse and encounter many patients with dementia or
other impairments so this topic is something that I see
regularly in my everyday life.

3. Definition
According to Principles of Anatomy and Physiology
13th edition dementia is “Permanent or progressive
general loss of intellectual abilities, including
impairment of memory, judgement and abstract
thinking and changes in personality”
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4. SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s are usually noted in the following order:
- difficulty remembering recent events
- confusion and forgetfulness
- loss of older memories
- paranoia, hallucinations and mood changes
- eventually loss of ability to read, write, talk, eat or walk

5. 5
Mini Mental Status Exam
https://medworksmedia.com/product/mini-mental-state-
examination-mmse/
There is no specific diagnosis for
dementia. The only way to tell if a person
had a type of dementia is during autopsy.
To the side is an example of a Mini Mental
Status Exam (MMSE) that can be used to
assess cognitive impairment.
A score above 25 is considered normal
and under 24 could indicated a cognitive
impairment.

6. AREAS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
INVOLVED
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Alzheimer’s disease involves destruction of the neurons in the
brain. It involves the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex and
later will affect areas of the cerebral cortex including the temporal
and frontal lobes. As more neurons stop working or die those
regions of the brain shrink resulting in brain atrophy.
https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-happens-brain-
alzheimers-disease

7. IMPAIRED AREAS NERVOUS
SYSTEM
The first and most obvious impairment is short term memory due to
the loss of neurons related to the hippocampus and entorhinal
cortex. As the disease progresses more and more neurons die
resulting in loss of older memories and confusion. If disease
progresses to the frontal lobe changes in mood and personality
may be noted as well.
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8. Summary/What
I’ve Learned
I have definitely learned a lot by
taking this course. The topics we
covered were very in-depth. I am able
to relate elements of this course to
everyday life when it comes to vision,
hearing, movement etc. I look forward
to taking this knowledge into my work
as a nurse and possibly into future
courses and programs!
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9. 9
THANK YOU
Laura Taylor