Running head: Alzheimer’s Research paper

Alzheimer’s

BIO-201

Mandy Smith

December 14, 2016

Section 1: Introduction

This is an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and

thinking skill that eventually leads to losing the ability to do simply tasks such as walk or eat.

Alzheimer’s disease is currently ranked the sixth leading cause of death in the United States

however recent study estimates are showing that it may actually be ranked third in the United

States now only behind heart disease and cancer. There are estimates that about 5 million

Americans suffer from this disease. Most people that are affected with Alzheimer’s start to

experience their symptoms when they are in their mid 60’s. Alzheimer’s is the most common

cause of dementia among older adults. Dementia is the loss of cognitive functions such as

thinking, remembering and reasoning. It also affects the behavior of the individuals with the

disease. There are 3 different stages of this disease; mils, moderate, and severe which is what

categorizes the progression of the disease. (Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet)

Section 2: Causes and Risk Factors

Changes occur in the brain all the time, however there are complex changes that lead to

the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The damage that occurs to the brain is likely to

start up to a decade before any of the memory or cognitive functions are even effected. This

preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s is due to toxic changes taking place in the brain. This is said to

be because of abnormal changes in the proteins that are deposited in the brain. These abnormal

proteins that get deposited are hereditary, so they are passed on in the DNA from our parents.

These mutations of proteins are generally caused in the assembly of the protein; this is a possible

cause for brain degeneration (Vogel). According to the Alzheimer’s Associations there are three

major risk factors for Alzheimer’s they are; age, family history, and genetics or heredity. The

most commonly known risk factor by anyone is age. It is not known why the risk for getting the
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disease goes up with age, it has just been proven. One in nine people age 65 or older has

Alzheimer’s and nearly one in three people age 85 and older has the disease (Alzheimer’s

Disease & Dementia). Another decently known and strong risk factor is family history. This is

not proven to be a for sure cause however it has been proven that if someone in your immediate

family has the disease then you are more likely to develop the disease. It has also been proven

that if there is more than one family member with the disease the risk for you to have it increases

greatly.

The last of the three major risk factors is genetics/ heredity. There are two different types

of genes that can play a role in weather or not a person will develop Alzheimer’s they are; risk

genes, and deterministic genes. Risk genes increase the likelihood of developing a disease

however, it does not guarantee that it will happen. There are a few different risk genes that are

thought to impact Alzheimer’s. there is one that is found to be stronger than others and it is

called apolipoprotein E-e4 also referred to as APOE-e4. This gene is a commonly inherited gene

that generally gets passed down in some version from both parents. So those that inherit this

particular gene from both parents have a much higher risk of getting it however it is still not a

guarantee. The deterministic genes are the genes that get passed on that directly cause the

disease. This is guaranteeing that anyone who inherits this gene will develop the disorder. With

Alzheimer’s there are three different proteins that code for the disease and they are APP, PS-1,

and PS-2. Alzheimer’s caused by these proteins is considered autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s

disease (ADAD). Many family members from numerous generations end up being affected by

this disease, and the symptoms of this version of the disease are usually experienced as early as

ages 30-40. ADAD is not a common form of Alzheimer’s; it has only been found in a few

hundred families around the world (Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia).

Section 3: Signs and Symptoms

One of the most common symptoms that get experienced first are memory problems.

Memory problems are one of the very first signs of cognitive impairment related to Alzheimer’s

disease. At first the only symptoms that the person may be experiencing are increasing

forgetfulness and or mild confusion. This may be true however over time Alzheimer’s takes

away more and more memory especially the more recent memories. With Alzheimer’s you may

notice things are unusual or not normal before other people do, or you could simply not notice

anything until family or friends point it out. Although memory is a huge indicator of this disease

there are a few more common symptoms such as; thinking/ reasoning, making judgements and

decisions, planning and preforming tasks, and personality and behavioral changes. some of these

symptoms can be grouped together while others are not necessarily the same type of thing.

Thinking and reasoning is affected by losing the ability to concentrate and think, especially about

complex things such as numbers which don’t seem complex at all. This also causes it to be

nearly impossible for someone with the disease to be able to multitask, which can lead to the

inability to deal with numbers at all. Making decisions and judgements go along closely to

thinking and reasoning. This includes having the ability to respond effectively to everyday

problems such as food burning on the stove. Another common symptom is not being able to plan

or perform tasks that were familiar to you at one point. These tasks would include things that are

usually considered simple such as; planning, cooking a meal, or even playing your favorite game

that you’ve played over and over again.

The last symptom that is a common one is changes in personality or behavior of the

individual. These changes are caused by changes in the brain which can affect the way we cat

and feel. Common symptoms under this category include; depression, apathy, social withdrawal,
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mood swings, not trusting others, irritability, inconsistent sleeping habits, and delusions. A lot of

the important skills are not lost until the very late stage in the disease some of these skills

include; reading, singing, dancing, crafts and other hobbies. This is because these are often the

skills and habits that people learn early on in their life and these are among the last of the

memories to be lost. These are the among the last things to be lost because the area of the brain

that stores this information usually isn’t affected until the later stages of the disease. (Mayo

Clinic Staff)

Section 4: Diagnosis and Treatment

With Alzheimer’s there is no one specific test that can be done to diagnose this disease.

The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s requires careful evaluation done by a physician these evaluations

include; a thorough medical history, mental status testing, physical and neurological exams, and

blood tests. Having trouble with memory does not mean that a person has Alzheimer’s, there are

a few other illnesses/ diseases that have memory issues are symptoms. The only way to find out

for sure is to go in and have a series of tests performed.

The main treatments for Alzheimer’s are drugs however, they do not cure the disease,

they only help with the slowing of the memory symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors are the first

type of drugs used to help with the disease. These drugs work by boosting levels of cell to cell

communication by providing acetylcholine that is supplied in the brain by the Alzheimer’s

disease. These drugs also improve symptoms such as depression and simple agitation. The

second type of drug used is called Memantine which works in a different brain cell

communication network. This drug helps to slow the progression of symptoms with moderate to

severe Alzheimer’s the downside to this drug are the side effects of it which include constipation,

dizziness and headaches. Other treatments for Alzheimer’s include simple things such as
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exercise and nutrition. Both of these simple treatments are important for everyone, but in those

with Alzheimer’s walking can help improve symptoms such as improving moods, it also helps

with maintaining healthy joints, muscles and the heart. Nutrition is important in people with

Alzheimer’s may forget to eat, lose interest while preparing their meals or just not eat a healthy

combination of foods. They may also forget to drink throughout the day and night causing them

to become dehydrated and constipated. There are certain foods that are marked as medical foods

that are made specially to treat Alzheimer’s disease however the FDA does not approve these

products because there is no definitive data proving that any of these medical foods are

beneficial or safe to eat. (Mendiola-Precoma)

Section 5: Closing

There are numerous factors that play a role in determining if a patient has Alzheimer’s, or

if they are at risk of getting Alzheimer’s. There are also a lot of different signs and symptoms of

the disease however experiencing these symptoms does not necessarily mean that the person is

suffering from the disease. For those that are suffering from Alzheimer’s there is no treatment

that cures the disease however the treatments do slow the progression of the disease which gives

the victims more time. Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that affects a lot more people than just

those that have it. Fatality is the ultimate result of Alzheimer’s disease however there is no

known rate for mortality since all patients with Alzheimer’s end up dying from it at different

ages and stages throughout the disease.

Works Cited

Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12, 2016, from
https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet

Alzheimer's Disease & Dementia | Alzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Retrieved December 12,
2016, from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp

Elezgarai, S. R., & Biasini, E. (2016). Common therapeutic strategies for prion and Alzheimer's
diseases. Biological Chemistry, 397(11), 1115-1124. doi:10.1515/hsz-2016-0190

Mayo Clinic Staff Print. (2015). Alzheimer's disease. Retrieved December 12, 2016, from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/symptoms-
causes/dxc-20167103

Mendiola-Precoma, J., Berumen, L. C., Padilla, K., & Garcia-Alcocer, G. (2016). Therapies for
Prevention and Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Biomed Research International,
20161-17. doi:10.1155/2016/2589276

Van der Mussele, S., Mariën, P., Saerens, J., Somers, N., Goeman, J., De Deyn, P. P., &
Engelborghs, S. (2015). Psychosis associated behavioral and psychological signs and
symptoms in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's dementia. Aging & Mental
Health, 19(9), 818-828. doi:10.1080/13607863.2014.967170

Vogel, G. (1998). Possible new cause of Alzheimer's disease found. Science, 279(5348), 174.