How Can We Tell If An

Individual Possibly Has An

Alzheimer's Disease?
By: Levi Cumalegre
Jay Escalante (lacking team effort)
Shaira Damasco (lacking team effort)
Alzheimer's is a disease that causes dementia, or
loss of brain function. It affects the parts of
the brain that are important for memory,
thought, and language.
Alzheimer's was named after the
German doctor, Alois Alzheimer, who
first named the disorder in 1906.
In 2015, there were approximately 29.8 million
people worldwide with AD. It most often begins in
people over 65 years of age, although 4% to 5%
of cases are early-onset Alzheimer's which begin
before this.
The brain of a person with Alzheimer's contains abnormal
clumps of cellular debris and protein (plaques) and
collapsed microtubules (support structures inside the
cell). Microtubule collapse is caused by a malfunctioning
protein called tau, which normally stabilizes the
microtubules. In Alzheimer's patients, tau proteins
instead cluster together to form disabling plaques and
tangles. These plaques and tangles damage the healthy
cells around them, leading to cell death. The brain also
produces smaller amounts of neurotransmitters
(acetylcholine, serotonin, and norepinephrine), chemicals
that allow nerve cells to talk to one another.
Mutations in genes found on chromosomes 1,
14, and 21 are linked to rarer forms of the
disease, which strike earlier in life.
How do people get Alzheimer's
disease?
Scientists don't know exactly how people develop Alzheimer's, but they
believe it is caused by a combination of genes and environmental
factors. In other words, it is a multifactorial disorder.
The most common form of the disease, which strikes after age 65, is
linked to the apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene on chromosome 19.
Scientists don't know how apoE4 increases the risk of developing
Alzheimer's. They do know that everyone has apoE, which comes in
three forms.
One of the forms (apoE4) increases a person's risk of developing
Alzheimer's. The other two forms seem to protect against the
disease. While people who inherit the apoE4 form of the gene are at
increased risk for the disease, they will not necessarily develop it.
Mutations in genes found on chromosomes 1, 14, and 21 are linked to
rarer forms of the disease, which strike earlier in life.
What are the symptoms of
Alzheimer's disease?

Because Alzheimer's destroys brain cells,

people who have the disorder slowly lose
their ability to think clearly. At first, they
may forget words or names, or have
trouble finding things. As the disorder
worsens, they may forget how to do simple
tasks, such as walking to a friend's house
or brushing their hair. Some people with
Alzheimer's also feel nervous or sad.
How is Alzheimer's disease
treated?
There is no cure for Alzheimer's, but a few medicines
can slow its symptoms. A drug called Aricept increases
the amount of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in
the brain. Another medicine, Namenda, protects brain
cells from a chemical called glutamate, which can
damage nerve cells. Doctors may also give their
Alzheimer's patients antidepressants or anti-anxiety
medicines to ease some of their symptoms.
People with Alzheimer's often need a caregiver,
someone to help them do the things they were once
able to do themselves.
Opinions from self:
Alzheimers happen rarely in each one of
us. We dont know what is happening to
our genes and chromosomes that makes
this happen. If one of our loved ones
had this Alzheimers Disease, we should
be very responsible in taking care of
them.