ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
In 2015, there were approximately 48 million people worldwide with AD. It most often begins in people over 65 years of age, although, 4% to 5% of cases are early-onset Alzheimer’s, which begin before this. It affects about 6% of people 65 years and older. It was first described by, and later named after, German psychiatrist and pathologist, Alois Alzheimer in 1906. (http://www.alz.co.uk/alois-alzheimer) In 1906, Alzheimer gave a lecture that made him famous. Alzheimer identified an “unusual disease of the cerebral cortex” which caused a woman in her fifties memory loss, disorientation, hallucinations, and ultimately her death when she was only 55. The autopsy of the brain showed various abnormalities; such as the cerebral …show more content…
As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self-care, and behavioral issues. Although, the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is eight to ten years.(http://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/life-expectancy) The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood. A probable diagnosis is based on the history of the illness and cognitive testing with medical imaging and blood tests to rule out other possible causes. Initial symptoms are often mistaken for normal aging. No treatments stop or reverse its progression, though some may temporarily improve symptoms. Exercise programs are beneficial to activities of daily living and can potentially improve outcomes. Treatment of behavioral problems or psychological problems due to dementia with antipsychotics is common, but not usually recommended due to there often being little benefit, and an increased risk of early …show more content…
More specifically, if someone in their 20’s was an extremely complex writer that utilized new words and unique vocabulary, but 50 years later used high frequency words and less complex words, this decline in language may be a predictor of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is characterized as a change to baseline cognitive processes, not necessarily a decline in memory or language, as these declines are normal with healthy aging. While performing fine motor tasks such as writing, drawing or dressing, certain movement coordination and planning difficulties may be present, but they are commonly unnoticed. During the final stages, the patient is completely dependent upon caregivers. Several competing hypotheses exists trying to explain the cause of the disease.
The genetic inheritability of Alzheimer’s disease, based on reviews of twin and family studies, range from 49% to 79%. Around 0.1% of the cases are inherited, which have an onset before age 65. This form of the disease is known as early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease. Most of autosomal dominant familial Alzheimer’s disease can be attributed to mutations in one of three genes: that encoding amyloid precursor protein. Most cases of Alzheimer’s disease do not exhibit autosomal-dominant inheritance and are termed sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, in which environmental and genetic differences may act as risk
In 2015, there were approximately 48 million people worldwide with AD. It most often begins in people over 65 years of age, although, 4% to 5% of cases are early-onset Alzheimer’s, which begin before this. It affects about 6% of people 65 years and older. It was first described by, and later named after, German psychiatrist and pathologist, Alois Alzheimer in 1906. (http://www.alz.co.uk/alois-alzheimer) In 1906, Alzheimer gave a lecture that made him famous. Alzheimer identified an “unusual disease of the cerebral cortex” which caused a woman in her fifties memory loss, disorientation, hallucinations, and ultimately her death when she was only 55. The autopsy of the brain showed various abnormalities; such as the cerebral …show more content…
As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation, mood swings, loss of motivation, not managing self-care, and behavioral issues. Although, the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is eight to ten years.(http://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease/life-expectancy) The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is poorly understood. A probable diagnosis is based on the history of the illness and cognitive testing with medical imaging and blood tests to rule out other possible causes. Initial symptoms are often mistaken for normal aging. No treatments stop or reverse its progression, though some may temporarily improve symptoms. Exercise programs are beneficial to activities of daily living and can potentially improve outcomes. Treatment of behavioral problems or psychological problems due to dementia with antipsychotics is common, but not usually recommended due to there often being little benefit, and an increased risk of early …show more content…
More specifically, if someone in their 20’s was an extremely complex writer that utilized new words and unique vocabulary, but 50 years later used high frequency words and less complex words, this decline in language may be a predictor of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is characterized as a change to baseline cognitive processes, not necessarily a decline in memory or language, as these declines are normal with healthy aging. While performing fine motor tasks such as writing, drawing or dressing, certain movement coordination and planning difficulties may be present, but they are commonly unnoticed. During the final stages, the patient is completely dependent upon caregivers. Several competing hypotheses exists trying to explain the cause of the disease.
The genetic inheritability of Alzheimer’s disease, based on reviews of twin and family studies, range from 49% to 79%. Around 0.1% of the cases are inherited, which have an onset before age 65. This form of the disease is known as early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease. Most of autosomal dominant familial Alzheimer’s disease can be attributed to mutations in one of three genes: that encoding amyloid precursor protein. Most cases of Alzheimer’s disease do not exhibit autosomal-dominant inheritance and are termed sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, in which environmental and genetic differences may act as risk