Since Alzheimer’s disease (AD) was discovered, victims of the disease, family members, and physicians became curious to know more about this now well-known illness. It has inspired many to conduct research to better understand the disease, so this research sets out to examine the pathophysiology of AD. Through this research, the disease was found to be defined as a category of dementia and is analyzed in depth through the understanding of the causes of the disease and how it affects the human body, considering the effects brought upon the brain and what results from them. How an individual is diagnosed with AD is also analyzed along with the treatments that patients may consider once diagnosed. To understand how this disease affects the
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It affects the Central Nervous System (CNS) and causes it to slowly affect the rest of the organ systems ("Alzheimer 's Disease Fact Sheet | National Institute on Aging” 3). In mild Alzheimer’s, one of the first two regions of the brain to be affected is the Entorhinal Cortex (EC) which holds the understanding of long-term memory (Puthiyedth et al. 4). Therefore, when it is damaged by Alzheimer 's, patients experience a larger amount of memory loss. The second region to be affected is the Hippocampus (HIP) located in the temporal lobe of the brain (Puthiyedth et al. 4). When the HIP is damaged patients with Alzheimer 's will slowly stop forming new memories. The HIP and a lipid transporter work together to damage blood flow which leads to the lack of oxygen to the brain (Puthiyedth, et al. …show more content…
293). Through questioning, MacRae reached the conclusion that the participants knew who they were in a sense of “informal roles, attributes, actions, and qualities” and believed they were the same person they were before the disease affected their lives but without some cognitive abilities they previously had (Macrae, 2009, p. 296). MacRae’s research led to finding what exactly assists individuals affected by AD in maintaining their identity. Normalizing, living in the present, altering aspirations and reappraising priorities, social comparison, the life review, and constructing self have proven to be aspects in MacRae’s study which helped the participants maintain their sense of identity while living with AD (Macrae, 2009, p. 298-300). The study also revealed that the relationships and communication the participants had with other individuals contributed to their feelings toward their identity and their overall ability to “manage identity [depending] on the support and cooperation of others” (Macrae, 2009, p. 301). A positive environment led to more positive behavior and a positive view towards themselves, while a negative environment would do the
It affects the Central Nervous System (CNS) and causes it to slowly affect the rest of the organ systems ("Alzheimer 's Disease Fact Sheet | National Institute on Aging” 3). In mild Alzheimer’s, one of the first two regions of the brain to be affected is the Entorhinal Cortex (EC) which holds the understanding of long-term memory (Puthiyedth et al. 4). Therefore, when it is damaged by Alzheimer 's, patients experience a larger amount of memory loss. The second region to be affected is the Hippocampus (HIP) located in the temporal lobe of the brain (Puthiyedth et al. 4). When the HIP is damaged patients with Alzheimer 's will slowly stop forming new memories. The HIP and a lipid transporter work together to damage blood flow which leads to the lack of oxygen to the brain (Puthiyedth, et al. …show more content…
293). Through questioning, MacRae reached the conclusion that the participants knew who they were in a sense of “informal roles, attributes, actions, and qualities” and believed they were the same person they were before the disease affected their lives but without some cognitive abilities they previously had (Macrae, 2009, p. 296). MacRae’s research led to finding what exactly assists individuals affected by AD in maintaining their identity. Normalizing, living in the present, altering aspirations and reappraising priorities, social comparison, the life review, and constructing self have proven to be aspects in MacRae’s study which helped the participants maintain their sense of identity while living with AD (Macrae, 2009, p. 298-300). The study also revealed that the relationships and communication the participants had with other individuals contributed to their feelings toward their identity and their overall ability to “manage identity [depending] on the support and cooperation of others” (Macrae, 2009, p. 301). A positive environment led to more positive behavior and a positive view towards themselves, while a negative environment would do the