Alzheimer’s is a complex neurodegenerative brain disease. It has multiple stages, is chronic, and causes shrinkage of the brain as well as neuronal dysfunction and death. There are six current hypotheses as to cause and all hypotheses seem to be somewhat relative. Diagnosis is achieved with neuropsychological testing, neuroimaging, genetic, blood, and cerebral spinal fluid testing, as well as up and coming urine and retinal tests. Symptomatic pharmaceutical treatment is available. Etiologic treatment is still being tested, however, preventive measures seem to be key. This disease, although complex, could be relatively simple to prevent.
Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of chronic, progressive dementia (also known as …show more content…
There are 10 major warning signs that family members and physicians should be aware of: memory loss, challenges with planning, solving and working with numbers, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, understanding images, speaking or writing, misplacing items, poor judgement and awareness of themselves and others, withdrawal from any regular activities of life, drastic changes in mood and personality especially when routines are changed, and lack of care or personal hygiene. These signs may or may not present and they can present themselves in any …show more content…
Currently there are two categories for treatment: symptomatic and etiologic. Symptomatic treatment is the most effective with the use of cholinesterase inhibitors including Donezepil, Rivastigmine, and Glantamine. By blocking cholinesterase, a protein in the brain, acetyl choline, a brain chemical which aids memory and learning, is allowed to flow more freely. Glutamate antagonists are another symptomatic treatment. Glutamate in the body has to be kept under control in order to prevent neurologic problems. However, the use of pharmaceuticals that achieve this have to be at such a high levels that the side effects make it not worth using. Glutamate can be controlled naturally however, by avoiding foods with gluten and casein. Supplements containing glutamate and aspartate, or any similarly pronounced supplement, should also be avoided. There are also numerous studies being conducted, one of which claims that a particular type of sleep can improve memory function in fruit flies, when the gene responsible for memory is disabled. This particular study performed at the Washington University School of Medicine has concluded that 3-4 hours of this type of sleep made an improvement, however this type of sleep is not able to be induced in humans as of
Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a form of chronic, progressive dementia (also known as …show more content…
There are 10 major warning signs that family members and physicians should be aware of: memory loss, challenges with planning, solving and working with numbers, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, understanding images, speaking or writing, misplacing items, poor judgement and awareness of themselves and others, withdrawal from any regular activities of life, drastic changes in mood and personality especially when routines are changed, and lack of care or personal hygiene. These signs may or may not present and they can present themselves in any …show more content…
Currently there are two categories for treatment: symptomatic and etiologic. Symptomatic treatment is the most effective with the use of cholinesterase inhibitors including Donezepil, Rivastigmine, and Glantamine. By blocking cholinesterase, a protein in the brain, acetyl choline, a brain chemical which aids memory and learning, is allowed to flow more freely. Glutamate antagonists are another symptomatic treatment. Glutamate in the body has to be kept under control in order to prevent neurologic problems. However, the use of pharmaceuticals that achieve this have to be at such a high levels that the side effects make it not worth using. Glutamate can be controlled naturally however, by avoiding foods with gluten and casein. Supplements containing glutamate and aspartate, or any similarly pronounced supplement, should also be avoided. There are also numerous studies being conducted, one of which claims that a particular type of sleep can improve memory function in fruit flies, when the gene responsible for memory is disabled. This particular study performed at the Washington University School of Medicine has concluded that 3-4 hours of this type of sleep made an improvement, however this type of sleep is not able to be induced in humans as of