We have lived with Alzheimer's for as long as we can remember, and with some caveman remains appearing to belong to people in their seventies, it is very likely that Alzheimer's has been a part of human life since human life began. But today we are facing it far more seriously than ever before. With increases in life expectancy and more respectful treatment of people with mental ailments, we are beginning to see the havoc caused by Alzheimer's and are making increasingly great efforts to understand it, help patients cope with it, and cure it.
Although we used to think that all dementia was equal and that Alzheimer's and dementia were normal aspects of ageing, we are increasingly seeing that this is not true. Alzheimer's is only one form of …show more content…
Although we do not yet fully understand their origin or their impact, the platelets and tangles of proteins that form in the brain appear to be playing a crucial role in degrading neural connections and ultimately killing neurons. Plaques are deposits of protein building up between neurons. Tangled are twisted fibres of protein building up inside neurons. They form naturally as everyone ages, but in Alzheimer's patients the number of plaques and tangles is far greater. Most experts believe their role in Alzheimer's is largely disruptive. There is also an argument for viewing Alzheimer's metabolically, as a type of diabetes mellitus. Research has found that insulin insensitivity in the brain is a characteristic of Alzheimer's even at early stages, and Alzheimer's can be recreated by inducing diabetes in the brains of animals. Some are using the term "type 3 diabetes", however as diabetes caused by pancreatic failure is already "type 3", Alzheimer's may be "type 4 …show more content…
Further supporting this theory, one of the latest treatments for Alzheimer's to be released involves blocking a specific receptor in the brain's immune cells. A study on mice found that microglia, a type of brain cell that breaks down toxic substances and cell debris like tangles and platelets, can be stopped from doing its job when an immune response becomes overactive. A protein called EP2 can cause inflammation, sending strong signals to the body that the brain is under attack from somewhere, causing inflammation and stopping microglia from doing their job. Seeing as high blood glucose is well known for causing inflammation, it would make sense that if someone had an insulin resistant brain, they would suffer a heightened immune response and swelling in that area. This means that when your brain becomes insulin resistant it becomes inflamed, and this inflammation stops the cells that clean down platelets and tangles from doing their job, which means the platelets and tangles build up. The end result is that platelets and tangles stop the neurons from communicating with each other, which makes a person's memory, get worse and can even make them lose basic
Although we used to think that all dementia was equal and that Alzheimer's and dementia were normal aspects of ageing, we are increasingly seeing that this is not true. Alzheimer's is only one form of …show more content…
Although we do not yet fully understand their origin or their impact, the platelets and tangles of proteins that form in the brain appear to be playing a crucial role in degrading neural connections and ultimately killing neurons. Plaques are deposits of protein building up between neurons. Tangled are twisted fibres of protein building up inside neurons. They form naturally as everyone ages, but in Alzheimer's patients the number of plaques and tangles is far greater. Most experts believe their role in Alzheimer's is largely disruptive. There is also an argument for viewing Alzheimer's metabolically, as a type of diabetes mellitus. Research has found that insulin insensitivity in the brain is a characteristic of Alzheimer's even at early stages, and Alzheimer's can be recreated by inducing diabetes in the brains of animals. Some are using the term "type 3 diabetes", however as diabetes caused by pancreatic failure is already "type 3", Alzheimer's may be "type 4 …show more content…
Further supporting this theory, one of the latest treatments for Alzheimer's to be released involves blocking a specific receptor in the brain's immune cells. A study on mice found that microglia, a type of brain cell that breaks down toxic substances and cell debris like tangles and platelets, can be stopped from doing its job when an immune response becomes overactive. A protein called EP2 can cause inflammation, sending strong signals to the body that the brain is under attack from somewhere, causing inflammation and stopping microglia from doing their job. Seeing as high blood glucose is well known for causing inflammation, it would make sense that if someone had an insulin resistant brain, they would suffer a heightened immune response and swelling in that area. This means that when your brain becomes insulin resistant it becomes inflamed, and this inflammation stops the cells that clean down platelets and tangles from doing their job, which means the platelets and tangles build up. The end result is that platelets and tangles stop the neurons from communicating with each other, which makes a person's memory, get worse and can even make them lose basic