Effects of Alzheimer's Disease

Three age subsequently, she was dead, and Alzheimer obtained her spirit for examination. He "identified two primary neuropathological hallmarks of the disease: neurofibrillary tangles (NFT), describe as 'a tangled bundle of fibers "indicating" the site where once neurons had been located,' and buildings that were later called plaques . . .(Cotman, Cummings, & Whitson, 1991, pp. 222-23)."

For the future(a) six decades, physicians regarded Alzheimer's disease as a comparatively antiquated disease that occurred only at a young age. But in the 1960's, scientists using electron microscopes rediscovered the characteristic wag cell degradation and lesions of the syndrome that Alzheimer first described. Recently it has become unvarnished that this hotshot disease is not nearly as rargon as once thought and that onset has already occurred or is just beginning in as umteen as 13 percent of the population over 65 years (Cotman et al., 1991, p. 222). The importance of Alzheimer's disease and its ramifications as a major existence health problem are just now starting signal to be appreciated. It is such a common condition that m any(prenominal) practicing physicians have regarded it as a normal consequence of aging, as a previous generation of clinicians regarded arteriosclerosis or high blood pressure as a normal consequence of aging, rather than as disease processes. The age-specific prevalence rate rises by age 85 to 30 percent (Mortimer and

No treatment of the basic disease process has yet prove effective for Alzheimer's disease or any other dementia. contempt this fact, the atmosphere in many research centers is one of hopefulness and expectancy. An effective treatment for Alzheimer's may be discovered within the next 20 years (Teri and Lewinsohn, 1986, p. 104).

The cause of Alzheimer's disease is not known. However, scientists are beginning to understand what occurs during the disease process. In normal aging, slightly of the cells of the brain, called neurons, begin to die. The neurofibrillary tangles mentioned earlier are comprised of these dead neurons which form lesions. Researchers in one study found that "it likely takes an extensive sum of money of cell destruction . . . for [symptoms] to emerge. . . .

the damage may well compromise more than half of local neuron availabilty before any . . . dysfuntion ensues (Damasio, Van Hoesen, & Hyman, 1990, p. 97-98)." The initial lesion sites are the amygdala and the hippocampus, those parts of the brain that involve new learning and remembering (Martin, 1990, p. 166).

Herbert, W. (23 October 1982). Senility: academic term on a time bomb. Science News, 270.

Biegel, D. E., Sales, E., & Schulz, R. (1991). Family caregiver applications serial: Vol. 1. Family caregiving in chronic illness: Alzheimer's disease, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, and stroke. Newberry Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Thirty to 40 years ago, our social structure was quite different. An elderly parent would live and die with his family members in the home, effectively "hiding" the problem of Alzheimer's disease. With the problems associated with Alzheimer's becoming more unambiguous and serious, families and relatives of Alzheimer's victims organized the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, based in Chicago, as an information center and an advocacy group. The ADRDA now has 120 chapters and three hundred self-help centers across the United States. A s
Ordercustompaper.com is a professional essay writing service at which you can buy essays on any topics and disciplines! All custom essays are written by professional writers!