Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
The most common word we think of when we hear the word Alzheimer’s disease is the brain. While the brain controls most of our daily normal function it can also control our body in a negative way. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is a brain disease that causes a decrease in the ability to think or remember things. Alzheimer’s disease is a much more advanced than dementia, dementia gradually gets worse over years.
How it affects the brain Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain by shrinking it. The shrinking affects all functions. The cortex shrivels up, causing damage to areas of thinking, planning and memory occurs. The shrinking also plays a role in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is an area in the cortex where new memories are formed. The ventricles of the brain also grow larger. Alzheimer’s disease also leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss. When scientists or doctors look under a microscope at Alzheimer cells verses healthy cells you will see fewer nerve cells and synapses. Scientists have also found abnormal clusters of proteins called beta-amyloid. These clusters are called plagues. They have also found the dead or dying nerves contain tangles. Tangles are another protein called tau that is twisted. Although research cannot prove what causes the cells to die, it is believed that plagues and tangles play an important role in the death of them. …show more content…
A person may have trouble remembering things like dates, information that was just told to them or even asking the same questions over and over.
Two-a person may have trouble in planning or problem solving day to day. They may have trouble remembering to pay things on time or complete simple steps. They also might take longer to do things than
The most common word we think of when we hear the word Alzheimer’s disease is the brain. While the brain controls most of our daily normal function it can also control our body in a negative way. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. Dementia is a brain disease that causes a decrease in the ability to think or remember things. Alzheimer’s disease is a much more advanced than dementia, dementia gradually gets worse over years.
How it affects the brain Alzheimer’s disease affects the brain by shrinking it. The shrinking affects all functions. The cortex shrivels up, causing damage to areas of thinking, planning and memory occurs. The shrinking also plays a role in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is an area in the cortex where new memories are formed. The ventricles of the brain also grow larger. Alzheimer’s disease also leads to nerve cell death and tissue loss. When scientists or doctors look under a microscope at Alzheimer cells verses healthy cells you will see fewer nerve cells and synapses. Scientists have also found abnormal clusters of proteins called beta-amyloid. These clusters are called plagues. They have also found the dead or dying nerves contain tangles. Tangles are another protein called tau that is twisted. Although research cannot prove what causes the cells to die, it is believed that plagues and tangles play an important role in the death of them. …show more content…
A person may have trouble remembering things like dates, information that was just told to them or even asking the same questions over and over.
Two-a person may have trouble in planning or problem solving day to day. They may have trouble remembering to pay things on time or complete simple steps. They also might take longer to do things than