To what extent can Early- Onset Alzheimer’s disease be prevented by Modern Medicine? By Alisha Wallace

Why I chose Early-Onset Alzheimer’s disease…  Great Grandad had the disease  I had little insight into the disease  Wanted to learn more about the disease  Lack of knowledge of Early-Onset Alzheimer's

Initial Research  Different types of Dementia  Needed knowledge to analyse data  Research Plan

Books I read… 1.‘Jan’s Story’ by Barry Petersen Sentimental not scientific 2.‘Alzheimer’s disease: what if there was a cure?’ by Mary Newport Use of ketones as alternative fuel

Secondary Research  Favoured secondary research  Based on research already conducted  Modern medicine= recent research  Internet/websites  Research has been published online

Alzheimer’s Association  Useful website  Respected charity  Wide range of research Information on:  Different types of dementia  Stages  Medications/treatments  Risk factors

Contacting Specialists  Contacted 7 initially  Asked Biology teachers  AllExperts.com 1.Cindy Keith 2.Michalene Peticca

What my project is about…  Prevention of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease  Not a finite answer  Individualised disease  Difficult to prevent entirely 1.Lifestyle 2.Genes (DeMoe family)

Plaques and Tangles  Hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease  Blocks cell-to-cell communication  Death of brain cells  No known cause

Green - the part of the brain involved in thinking and planning Red - the part of the brain involved in learning and memory. Earliest Stages of Alzheimer’s

Blue- speaking and understanding speech Yellow- Your sense of where your body is in relation to objects around you. Mild-Moderate Alzheimer’s

Moderate-Severe Alzheimer’s  Brain shrinks due to widespread cell death

Glucose as Fuel  Glucose= main energy source for the body  Insulin needed for glucose to get into cells  Type 3 Diabetes  Teenagers= 100:1  Elderly= 29:1  With Alzheimer's= 2:1

Ketones as Fuel  Don’t need insulin  Alternative to glucose  Increase levels of ketones o MCT/ Coconut Oil o Ketogenic Diet

Steve’s Clocks When asked to draw a clock this is what he drew…

“ …it felt like a light had been switched on… ”

Conclusion  Cannot be prevented currently  Genetics  Slow down progression  Lessen symptoms  Much like cancer

How it has helped me…  Increased research skills  Effective time management  Essay writing skills  Links to my degree

What I would do differently next time…  Extend research plan  Contact more specialists  Contact specialists sooner