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Alzheimer's
- 1. Jonny Yockey, Gloria Ha, Vinay Shanbhag 9/14/10 Freshman Health
- 4. healthy brain advanced Alzheimer’s normal brain advanced Alzheimer’s how the brains compare
- 9. Memory loss “ Dementia”- crazy? Frail, incapable, isolated Fear of stigma => delayed diagnosis
- 10. My father started growing very quiet as Alzheimer's started claiming more of him. The early stages of Alzheimer's are the hardest because that person is aware that they're losing awareness. And I think that that's why my father started growing more and more quiet. Patti Davis When you’ve met one person with Alzheimer’s, you’ve met one person with Alzheimer’s
Editor's Notes
- Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, examined the brain tissues of deceased senile dementia patients in 1907. He noticed abnormal structures in these tissues, and his observations have become the defining characteristics for patients with AD today
- The abnormal structures that were discovered by Alois Alzheimer are tangles and amyloid plaques. Plaque builds up outside of the nerve cells, and neurofibrillary tangles develop within neurons. These are present in all Alzheimer’s patients, but exactly how plaques and tangles cause the disease is yet unknown.
- Through the stages of Alzheimer’s, the brain changes gradually but undeniably. The top images are PET scans of an Alzheimer’s patient, and shows the brain’s metabolic degeneration as the brain processes slowly stop. On the left, there’s a size comparison of the two brains. On the right side, you can see the cortexes of both brains, and how they compare in terms of size and indentations. Through these, you can see the severity of Alzheimer’s effects on the brain.
- Though the definite cause is still unknown, there are various factors that contribute to contracting the disease. Starting from age 65, the risk of contracting Alzheimer’s doubles every five years. 12% of Americans over age 65 have Alzheimer’s. By age 85, 20% of Americans have Alzheimer’s, and 50% after age 85. Due to this high age risk, women are much more likely to have Alzheimer’s disease. Women generally live longer than men, and thus have more time to contract AD. Familial Alzheimer’s is a rare form of the disease that occurs in individuals under 60 years old. Typically, this is caused by a family background in having early onset Alzheimer’s. College graduates, and others with higher education, are much less likely to contract Alzheimer’s than individuals with lower education. Extensive education keeps the mind constantly exercised, which is a big factor in preventing dementia.
- One symptom is persistent memory loss, starting with repeating one’s self, forgetting events, misplacing things, then blanking out on family member names and those of everyday objects. They may end up feeling lost and disoriented in familiar settings. AD patients may start to have trouble dealing with abstract thinking, such as handling checks, and then have problems with numbers in general. They may find it difficult to express their selves with the right word, follow conversations, and then have trouble with literacy. Eventually, AD patients will display signs of poor judgment. AD patients also struggle with once-routine activities, eventually forgetting the most basic of these. Through it all, personality change is often exhibited through anger, distrust, or depression.
- Like many mental diseases, Alzheimer’s does not have a definite cure. Instead, there are options available to delay or lessen symptoms, or just to make life with Alzheimer’s more bearable. Medical treatment includes many different drugs, but all Alzheimer’s drugs are costly and are not very effective. They can only temporarily relieve symptoms, and even then, only a small minority of patients. One of the most difficult, but effective treatment methods is having an environment with caregivers. Patients can live in nursing homes, but this option isn’t always affordable for everyone. More often, an Alzheimer’s patient’s caregiver is a very close family member. These caregivers are the ones who are most affected by the diagnosed individual– they have to see someone they care so much about forgetting everything and becoming totally dependent. The best method to prevent Alzheimer’s is to live a healthy lifestyle overall, and this can be applied after being diagnosed as well. Maintaining physical health is always important, through regular exercise and a healthy diet. Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin B are crucial parts to a healthy diet. Equally important is mental activity to keep the brain stimulated.
- As you can see in cartoons like these, Alzheimer’s disease is often stigmatized. Often, memory loss is used as a comic element, but there are more negative stereotypes that can have harmful consequences for Alzheimer’s patients. The general understanding for the word “demented,” or “dementia” is “crazy,” and people assume that Alzheimer’s patients are socially isolated because of this. Stereotypes that are used for elderly people are also used for Alzheimer’s patients- frailty, grouchiness, and incapability. People who have Alzheimer’s are sometimes scared of being put into these negative categories, and so avoid being diagnosed with the disease. This can lead to less effective treatment, especially if the disease is only diagnosed later on.
- Awareness about mental diseases such as Alzheimer’s should be spread, as it has great impact within the U.S. and its families. Maintaining mental wellness should be a behavior that we’re all adapted for, as a healthy life is the key to preventing such devastating diseases.