StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Advancing Research in Alzheimer's Disease - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia.It is progressive and there are no available treatments for this disease as yet.Eventually,it can cause the death of the patient.It is mostly diagnosed among elderly individuals,starting from the age of 65 years…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.8% of users find it useful
Advancing Research in Alzheimers Disease
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Advancing Research in Alzheimer's Disease"

Download file to see previous pages

At present there are millions of elderly individuals suffering from this disease around the world, and the numbers are set to increase in the years to come. There are various symptoms of the disease, depending on each individual. However, there are also symptoms which are commonly manifested by patients. Most of the early symptoms of the disease include age-related symptoms like forgetfulness and memory lapses. Where such memory gaps are more common and extensive, a possible diagnosis of Alzheimer’s is considered with confirmatory tests carried out in order to determine the presence of the disease.

Other symptoms of the disease may include confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings, and long-term memory loss. The more progressive the disease is, the greater the danger is to the patient. The cause of the disease has not been significantly established, but it is mostly attributed to plaques and tangles in the brain (Jack, et.al., 2010). Current available treatments are only for the management of its symptoms and there are still no treatments available for the treatment of the disease and for stopping its progression.

Various clinical trials have been carried out through the years in the hope of coming up with a treatment for the disease however, no significant success has been gained in these areas as yet. In general however, mental stimulation, balanced diet, and exercise has been suggested as preventive remedies for the disease, and in some ways, they have been known to delay the onset of the cognitive symptoms of the disease (Buschert, et.al., 2010). Supportive treatment from family and the community is also crucial for these patients.

This paper shall now establish and consolidate current available evidence on the disease, including its causes, its effects, the stages in the progression of the disease, as well as treatment. Body Causes The causes of Alzheimer’s are still very much unknown, however some individual cases have been able to trace genetic factors to be the cause of their Alzheimer’s. Genetics Majority of Alzheimer’s cases are rare and sporadic cases. This would mean that rarely are they genetically passed on to family members.

Still, some genetic mutations are considered risk factors for Alzheimer’s. About 0.1% of the Alzheimer’s cases are considered a mutation of the autosomal dominant gene which may manifest before the age of 65 (Seshadri, et.al., 2010). Under these conditions, the disease would be known as early onset familial Alzheimer’s disease. This form of the disease is said to be caused by mutations in three possible genes: the amyloid precursor protein, the presenilins 1 and the presenilins 2 (Seshadri, et.al., 2010).

The mutations in these genes often cause a rise in small protein A?42 which is a major element for the senile plaques (Seshadri, et.al., 2010). The mutations may also change the ratio for A?42 and its other small protein forms. This would indicate that the mutations can cause the manifestation of the disease even where they decrease the production of the A?. This would also indicate the other functions of the presenilin in terms of the APP functions. Majority of the Alzheimer’s cases do not manifest autosomal-dominant genetic transmission; however, these genes may still pose as risk factors for generational transmission.

The most commonly established risk factor is the inheritance of the ?4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (Bateman, et.al., 2011). This inherited gene increases the risk of developing the disease, but the manifestation is also based on other environmental elements. Other genes may also present as risk factors which cause the late onset of Alzheimer’

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Advancing Research in Alzheimer's Disease Essay”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1482745-advancing-research-in-alzheimer-s-disease
(Advancing Research in Alzheimer'S Disease Essay)
https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1482745-advancing-research-in-alzheimer-s-disease.
“Advancing Research in Alzheimer'S Disease Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/health-sciences-medicine/1482745-advancing-research-in-alzheimer-s-disease.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Advancing Research in Alzheimer's Disease

Older Population

Diseases, such as alzheimer's disease, Heart disease, and osteoporosis are the most common old age diseases.... The PAA incorporates members and individuals that are interested in research and education revolving around the field of population.... Statics also state that in 2030 there will be about 70 million older people in the United States (National research Council (U.... I would research on the rights of older people and also the problems that they face these will also include health issues and getting medical aid....
3 Pages (750 words) Research Paper

Cognitive Deterioration in Alzheimers Disease

The paper "Cognitive Deterioration in alzheimer's disease" focuses on the critical analysis of the various aspects of cognitive deterioration in alzheimer's disease.... hellip; alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease that takes away the most imperative aspect of a person – their sense of self (Williams et al.... The disease significantly impacts the patient, family, community, caregivers, and society as a whole....
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper

Stem Cell: A Promising Horizon

The paper “Stem Cell: A Promising Horizon” has provided promising advancement in combating health conditions such as breast cancer, heart disease and alzheimer's disease.... Embryonic stem cells possess the ability to restore defective or damaged tissues which would heal or regenerate organs which have been adversely affected by a degenerative disease.... Cell therapy has the very real potential to provide new cures for diabetes, cancer, kidney disease, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis and many other kinds of diseases....
13 Pages (3250 words) Research Paper

Alzheimer's Disease

million people were found to have developed Alzheimers disease in the US and a large proportion of them were of age 65 and above.... Once a person is affected with Alzheimers disease, the tissues… Memory loss, obsessive behavior, insomnia, incontinence, hallucinations are some of the common symptoms found in the person affected with Alzheimers disease.... As per the current guidelines, biomarker test is conducted to The person who inherits genetic mutations is most likely to develop Alzheimers disease before age 65 and in worst case the person may develop Alzheimers disease as early as age 30....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Role of the Community in the Lives of the Affected Families

The main concerns that seemingly plagued the society were the inability to conduct early and timely/ helpful identification of symptoms, lack of knowledge on the activities that can help alleviate the onset of the disease in the sunset years of life, and care of the affected persons.... The community felt ill equipped and prepared to handle the disease to the best of their abilities as they have been often left frustrated and fatigued in the process.... It was clear that there was need to educate the society on the disease, how to avoid it, detect it early enough for swift interventions and how to care for the patients (whether at home or have the sick institutionalized)....
7 Pages (1750 words) Research Paper

The Effect of Down Regulating the AB-Degrading Protease Neoprilsyn

alzheimer's disease has been found to be the most frequent causative factor in neurogenerative dementia in the elderly.... 51, define alzheimer's disease as “an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills.... alzheimer's disease afflicts ten per cent of all individuals over sixty-five, which rises to fifty per cent in those above the age of eighty-five.... The paper describes the mechanisms involved in the neurogenerative diseases like AD, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease have given to theories of the involvement of amyloid deposits or intracellular occlusions containing abnormal or folded protein fibrils....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

Recognizing the Signs of Alzheimer's Disease in its Prevention

The writer of this research will describe the definition of alzheimer's disease in contrast with normal aging.... hellip; alzheimer's disease is a condition that is on the rise.... The challenge is that everyone forgets things as they get older and it can feel as though alzheimer's disease is right around the corner.... According to William Shankle and Daniel Amen, there are several differences between natural forgetting because of aging and memory loss when it is becoming alzheimer's disease....
11 Pages (2750 words) Research Paper

Psychosocial Therapy and Dementia: Do Elderly People Have a Chance

(The Three Stages of Dementia) There is no treatment in traditional medicine that is considered to be perfect to cure the disease.... The first includes medical treatment that corrects behavioral schemes associated with the disease, such as depression, psychosis, and agitation.... There are drugs that are prescribed to prevent from the development of the disease: “tacrine (Cognex), donepezil (Aricept), rivastigmine (Exelon) or galantamine (Reminyl), enhance the effectiveness of acetylcholine (the chemical messenger found in the neurotransmitter system which coordinates memory and learning) by slowing its breakdown”....
14 Pages (3500 words) Research Proposal
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us