Alzheimers Disease Essay - 1733 Words

Alzheimers Disease Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s disease is a slow, progressive, and degenerative disease of the brain. This disease is marked by a gradual loss of memory and other cognitive functions. quot;Alzheimers Disease is also known as the most common cause of dementia--a general term referring to the loss of memory and the ability to think, reason, function, and behave properlyquot; (Medina,1999). It primarily affects adults in their 60s or older and eventually destroys a persons ability to perform simple, routine tasks or even to care for themselves. Statistics show that quot;as many as 10 percent of all people 65 years of age and older have Alzheimers,quot; and that approximately quot;50 percent of all people 85 or older also have the†¦show more content†¦Today, these certain plaques and tangles found in the brain are considered to be the tell tale signs of Alzheimers disease. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The cause of Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s disease still remains a mystery today. Researchers are learning about what happens to the brain as we grow old, what happens to brain cells in Alzheimers Disease, which genes are associated, and many other factors that may be significant. Some of the most promising Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s research is being conducted in the field of genetics to learn the role a family history of the disease has in its development. Scientists have learned that quot;people who are carriers of a specific version of the apolipoprotein E gene (apoE gene), found on chromosome 19, are several times more likely to develop Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s than carriers of other versions of the apoE gene. Nearly half of all late-onset Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s patients have the less common apoE4 version and research has shown that this gene plays a role in Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s diseasequot;(Cutler amp; Sramek, 1996). Scientists have also found evidence that quot;variations in one or more genes located on chromosomes 1, 10, and 14 may increase a person ¡Ã‚ ¦s risk for Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s diseasequot;(Cutler amp; Sramek, 1996). nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Researchers have made similar strides in the investigation of early-onset Alzheimer ¡Ã‚ ¦s disease.Show 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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