Alzheimer’s Disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

Alzheimers DiseaseAlzheimers disease is a progressive fix where the neurons degenerate in the brain, while the brain spunk shrinks in volume. Alzheimers is also the upshot one cause of dementia. When it was scratch overseas telegram noticed, Alzheimers was thought to be a pre-senile disease, but now it is cognize to be responsible for seventy-five part of the dementia cases in community over sixty-five years of age. Alzheimers disease usually causes several(prenominal) years of personal and intellectual decline until death. Because there is an increasing number of elderly citizens in the United States, research into the causes and possible cures for the disease is on the rise (1). Several theories have been made concerning factors that may cause the condition however, the cause remains unknown. Some suggest that it may be caused by some type of chronic infection or from exposure to a metal that may be toxic, such as aluminum (1). This line of belief originated from high level s of aluminum deposits being found in Alzheimers brain lesions (2). It is also known that people with Alzheimers have bring down levels of brain chemicals, such as acetylcholine (1). Additionally, people with Downs Syndrome be more likely to acquire this dementia, with about fifteen percent of Alzheimers patients showing a family history of this disease. This leads many scientists to believe that there is a genetic link to the disease. When twins have been studied, a high arranging rate has been found for the disease. Furthermore, there is sometimes a very governing pattern of inheritance of this disease, where a person has a fifty percent chance of acquiring it if either parent has Alzheimers (autosomal dominant transmission) (1,2). It is grand to acquire Alzhei... ...al and family study of 22 twin pairs. Neurology, 1987, 37, 359-3B3. 4. Thomas, C. L. Alzheimers Disease. Tabers Cyclopedic medical examination Dictionary, 15th ea., 1985, 61. 5. Murray, R. K., Cranner, D. K., H ayes, P. A. and Rodwell, V. W. Deposition of Amyloid Beta Protein is Involved in the cause of Alzheimers Disease. Harpers Biochemistry, 23rd ed., 1993, 750-752. 6. Miyakskawa, T., Katsuragi, S., Watanabe, K., Shimoji, A. and Ikouchi, Y. Ultrastructure Studies of Amyloid Fibrils and Senile Plaques in the Human Brain,1986,70 202-208. 7. Frazier, S. H. American Psychiatry Glossary, 5th. ed., 1988, 11 50 153. 8. Cohen, C. D. Useful study on Alzheimers Disease. Department of Health and Human Services, 1990, 5-7. 9. Rosenberg, R. N. A causal Role for Amyloid in Alzheimers Disease The end of the beginning. Neurology, 1993, 43851-854.