Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease Defined - Research Paper Example

? Definition of Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease This paper will succinctly tackle the disease entity of Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. The two neurologic disorders were defined and distinguished from each other in terms of pathogenesis, onset, diagnosis, assessment findings, manifestations and interventions. Alzheimer’s disease or AD results from severe cytoskeletal alterations in only a few neuronal types within the human central nervous system. These intraneuronal changes take the form of neurofibrillary tangles and neuropil threads. It is a relentlessly progressive dementing disorder which can be detected clinically only in its end phase. On the other hand, Multiple sclerosis or MS develops in young adults with a complex predisposing genetic trait and probably requires an inciting environmental insult such as a viral infection to trigger the disease. Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease Defined Brains play a vital role not only in one’s cognitive and thinking capacity but also to control an individual’s physical and psychological abilities including the skills in holding up memories and commands. Without the proper functioning of a brain, a person’s life is immensely affected. Several neurological diseases have been discovered and science has its unending endeavor in searching for its cure and prevention; amongst the neurological diseases that are rampant nowadays, are multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain condition that is not content to kill its victims without first snuffing out its essence and has for more decades simply laughed at such efforts. More than 5 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a number that will grow to 13.4 million by 2050 (Park, 2010). Conversely, doctors believe that Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly attacks its own healthy cells (Park 2007). With regards to treatment, there is no cure to Alzheimer’s disease. The therapies that exist are drugs and lifestyle behaviors such as keeping the mind sharp with enriching social relationships and stimulating the brain with games and puzzles. It can only delay, not stop the onset of memory loss, confusion and cognitive decline that generally extend over a period of several years, or more often, decades. Overtime, the feeling has taken hold that beating Alzheimer’s disease is the cold fusion of medical research. For the first time since the disease was identified more than a century ago, doctors are closer to uncovering its secrets. The disease is thought to be caused by a buildup of protein-based plaques in the brain, and investigators now believe they have an understanding of possible ways to interrupt that process. Technology is helping too, as researchers exploit new ways to scan the brain and detect the first signs of trouble, peering deeper into human and animal neural tissue to pinpoint the very molecules that give rise to the disease (Park, 2010). On the contrary, in dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, the best way to understand this condition is to get at its root cause, and most of the time, that means hunting down the genes that trigger it. Researchers have identified two new genes that may contribute to the immune disorder multiple sclerosis. The hope is that the discovery will someday lead to the development of treatment to its cause not merely on its symptoms. For decades, researchers have been forced to make their best guess as to what causes the disease which affects 300,000 Americans, mostly women between their 20s and 40s (Park, 2007). In an article from Medical News Today (2011a) entitled, Poor Bone Health May Start Early In People With Multiple Sclerosis, osteoporosis and low bone density are common in people in the early stages of multiple sclerosis. Low vitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis and this can lead to reduced calcium absorption and bone mineralization, or the process the body uses to turn minerals into bone structure. A study involving 99 people with an average age of 37 who were recently diagnosed with MS or clinically isolated syndrome, which means they had a first episode of symptoms like those in MS but have not yet been diagnosed with the disease. All had no or minor physical disability from the disease. The participants had bone density tests an average of 1.6 years after the first time they had any symptoms suggestive of MS. Their tests were compared to bone tests of 159 people of similar age, gender and ethnicity who did not have the disease. A total of 51 percent of those with MS had either osteoporosis or osteopenia, compared to 37 percent of those who did not have the disease. John DeLuca, PhD, Vice President for Research at Kessler Foundation as cited in Medical News Today website (2011b) presented findings on the use of a behavioral technique for cognitive rehabilitation in people with multiple sclerosis. Lead investigator was Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of the Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Laboratory at Kessler Foundation. The presentation on modified Story Memory Technique was made on October 21, 2011 in Amsterdam at the 5th Joint Triennial Congress of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS and ACTRIMS). Two randomized clinical trials have been conducted to examine changes in neuropsychological memory measures post-treatment, one using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test Revised and the other using the California Verbal Learning Test II. Changes were also examined in patterns of cerebral activation on post-treatment during performance of learning and memory tasks. These tasks helps the researchers determine effective interventions for cognitive rehabilitation. Nevertheless, correct and accurate diagnosis of a certain disease is crucial for medical practitioners and to the entire health team so that they can provide appropriate management and treatment to patients. Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed through a complete medical assessment. There is no single test that can show whether a person has Alzheimer’s disease. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease requires careful medical evaluation including a thorough medical history, mental status testing, physical and neurological exam and tests such as blood tests and brain imaging to rule out other causes of dementia-like symptoms (Alzheimer’s Association, 2011). Moreover, a new MRI technique developed at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides an unprecedented look at the fine structure of the brain. Using an MRI machine equipped with a magnet more than twice as powerful as one in an ordinary device, the researchers created a way to measure the magnetic field changes caused by tissue properties to optimize contrast in the image. They were also able to compensate for the magnetic field fluctuations created by the patients’ breathing. The technique revealed never-before-seen patterns in the white matter and gray matter of the human brain. Picking up on such differences may help researchers look more deeply into the brain’s subdivisions, allowing them to map it in greater detail. It may also bring about advances in diagnosing diseases like Alz­heimer’s and multiple sclerosis, both of which involve abnormal iron accumulation in the brain (Rice, 2008). Based on the facts cited and conferred above, both Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis are long-term, chronic illnesses that can happen to anybody. Despite the technological advancement and vast scientific researches, the ultimate cure has not been discovered yet and therefore symptomatic treatment and management are the only ones being performed to patients affected by the said diseases. The aforementioned treatment and management is geared towards the attainment of highest level of productivity and independence and reduction of complications and poor prognosis. If medical management is deemed successful, highly productive and independent survivors of these neurological diseases can still enjoy a quality life and can still contribute to the betterment of the society where they belong. References Alzheimer’s Association. (2011) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's: Disease and Dementia. 16 November 2011 from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_diagnosis.asp Medical News Today. (2011a). Poor Bone Health May Start Early In People With Multiple Sclerosis. 12 July 2011 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/230852.php Medical News Today. (2011b). Modified Story Memory Technique Used To Treat Learning And Memory Deficits In MS. 19 November 2011 from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/237872.php Park, Alice. (2007). New Genes Discovered for MS. from http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1647940,00.html?cnn=yes Park, Alice. (2010). New Research on Understanding Alzheimer. From http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2025572,00.html Rice, Jocelyn. (2008). High-Intensity MRI Could Catch Alzheimer’s, MS. From http://discovermagazine.com/2008/jan/high-intensity-mri-could-catch-alzheimer2019s-ms Read More