Alzheimers Disease Essay - 1941 Words

Alzheimers Disease, progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual and irreversible decline in memory, language skills, perception of time and space, and, eventually, the ability to care for oneself. First described by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, Alzheimers disease was initially thought to be a rare condition affecting only young people, and was referred to as presenile dementia. Today late-onset Alzheimers disease is recognised as the most common cause of the loss of mental function in those aged 65 and over. Alzheimers in people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, called early-onset Alzheimers disease, occurs much less frequently, accounting for less than 10 percent of the estimated 4 million Alzheimers cases in the†¦show more content†¦Alzheimers patients may live many years with the disease, usually dying from other disorders that may develop, such as pneumonia. Typically the time from initial diagnosis until death is seven to ten years, but this is quite vari able and can range from three to twenty years, depending on the age of onset, other medical conditions present, and the care patients receive. The brains of patients with Alzheimers have distinctive formations—abnormally shaped proteins called tangles and plaques—that are recognised as the hallmark of the disease. Not all brain regions show these characteristic formations. The areas most prominently affected are those related to memory. Tangles are long, slender tendrils found inside nerve cells, or neurons. Scientists have learned that when a protein called tau becomes altered, it may cause the characteristic tangles in the brain of an Alzheimers patient. In healthy brains, tau provides structural support for neurons, but in Alzheimers patients this structural support collapses. Plaques, or clumps of fibres, form outside the neurons in the adjacent brain tissue. Scientists found that a type of protein, called amyloid precursor protein, forms toxic plaques when it is cut in two places. Researchers have isolated the enzyme beta-secretase, which is believed to make one of the cuts in the amyloid precursor protein. Researchers also identified another enzyme, called gamma secretase that makes the second cutShow MoreRelatedAlzheimers Disease945 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive neurological disease; it often attacks the brain tissues causing memory loss of one’s identity and regular behaviors. Statistics indicates that the rate of predicted people to get Alzheimer’s will increase briskly as time goes on. There are currently no cures for such disastrous disease, but there are currently approved treatments available that can help people within the early stages of Alzheimer’s. 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