Definition

 Alzheimer's disease, it is a brain disorder, is most commonly to forget things&affects a person's ability to accomplish daily activities.  AD usually occurs at an old age. So-called “ senior moments.”  Some of the symptoms are interfering with functions such as remembering, reasoning, and planning.

Associated Features

 Alzheimer’s disease can be a stressfulandemotional experience for everyone involved.  knowing the difference between what is normaland what is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s.  Losses in the ability to maintain employment,communication ability, rapid mood swings,and personality also may be affected act like 2-3 year old, and inappropriate language.

Descriptio n Duration Characteristics Mild/Early 2-4yrsmemory loss, problems expressing,understanding language. Mild coordination problems: writing and using objects becomes difficult. Depression,mood swings,difficulty driving. Moderate/ Middle 2-10 yrspersistent memory loss, forgetpersonal history and inability to recognize friends and family,confusion about current events, time, and place, lostinfamiliarsettings, changesinmoodandbehavior, May experiencedelusions, aggression, and uninhibitedbehavior. slowness, rigidity, and tremors. Need structure, reminders, and assistance with the activities of daily living. Severe/Lat e 1-3+ yrsConfused about past and present. Loss of ability to remember, communicate, or process information. Generally incapacitated with severe to total loss of verbal skills. Unable to care for self. Falls possible and immobility likely. Problems with swallowing, incontinence, and illness. Extreme problems with mood, behavior, hallucinations, and delirium.In this stage, the person will need round the clock intensive support and care.

 DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type  A. The development of multiple cognitive deficits manifested by both:  1.Memory impairment (impaired ability to learn new information or to recall previously learned information)  2.One or more of the following cognitive disturbances:  (a) aphasia (language disturbance)  (b) apraxia (impaired ability to carry out motor activities despite intact motor function)  (c) agnosia (failure to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory function)  (d) disturbance in executive functioning (i.e., planning, organizing, sequencing, abstracting)  B. The cognitive deficits in criteria A1 and A2 each cause significant impairment in social or occupational functioning and represent a significant decline from a previous level of functioning.  C. The course is characterized by gradual onset and continuing cognitive decline.  D. The cognitive deficits in Criteria A1 and A2 are not due to any of the following:  (1) other central nervous system conditions that cause progressive deficits in memory and cognition (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, subdural hematoma, normal- pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor)  (2) systemic conditions that are known to cause dementia (e.g., hypothyroidism, vitamin B or folic acid deficiency, niacin deficiency, hypercalcemia, neurosyphilis, HIV infection)  (3) substance-induced conditions  E. The deficits do not occur exclusively during the course of a delirium.

Etiology

 first AD destroys neurons (nerve cells) in parts of the brain that control memory, including the hippocampus, which is a structure deep in the deep that controls short-term memory.  AD affects the cerebral cortex, particularly the areas responsible for language and reasoning.  the brain regions affected atrophy (shrink and lose function), and the person with AD becomes bedridden, incontinent, helpless, and non- responsive.

 The primary risk factors of Alzheimer’s are age, family history, and genetics.  Maintaining a healthy heart and avoiding high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high cholesterol can decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s.  Watch your weight, avoid tobacco and excess alcohol, stay socially connected, and exercise both your body and mind.

Prevalence

 After eight years of their diagnosis they die, or short as one year or long as 20 years.  AD is the fourth leading cause of death in adults after heart disease, cancer, and stroke.  Between two and four million Americans have AD; is expected to grow to as many as 14 million by the 21st century as the population ages.  While a small number of people in their 40s and 50s develop the disease (called early on-set AD), AD predominantly affects the elderly.  AD affects about 3% of all people between ages 65 and 74  19% of those between 75 and 84, and  47% of those over 85.  Slightly more women than men are affected with AD, but this may be because women tend to live longer, leaving a higher proportion of women in the most affected age groups.

Treatment

 There’s drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). for the treatment of AD symptoms. They act by increasing the level of chemical signaling molecules in the brain, known as neurotransmitters, to make up for this decreased communication ability. All act by inhibiting the activity of acetyl-cholinesterase, which is an enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine, an important neurotransmitter released by neurons that is necessary for cognitive function. These drugs modestly increase cognition and improve one's ability to perform normal activities of daily living.

Prognosis

 It depends on the endurance of the immune system  If its diagnose soon, before entering to the more common late-onset type it can be paused but not eliminated completely.  Taking medicine can help a person with Alzheimer's to function right in his normal daily activity.  And if its too late then there’s nothing else to do but to wait for death.  Alzheimer’s can also lead to a Stroke.  People with Alzheimer's can not outcome of the disorder, or recover.

 How would you feel after hearing about what is Alzheimer, and one of your love ones was diagnose with mild/early Alzheimer. How would you treat your love one when observing that its becoming difficult for them to deal and carry out with daily activities and routines, would you support and care or not.

Lee, S.K. (12/03/2007). Knowledge adventurer & technology explorer: Alzheimer’s disease. Retrieved from technologies.blogspot.com/2007_12_02_archive.html Helpgiude.org.(2001). Alzheimer’s disease Signs symptoms, and stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Retrieved from alzheimers_disease_symptoms_stages.htm

 What does the Hippocampus in the brain help us to manage in daily life?  What are 3 ways to prevent Alzheimer’s?  What is the 1 st, 2 nd, 3 rd, and 4 th, leading cause of death in The U.S.A?