Below is video that discusses some basic aspects of Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia vs. Alzheimer's
Many people believe that dementia and Alzheimer's are the same thing, however they are very different. To be brief, dementia is a symptom, while Alzheimer's is a disease. These can be confusing because they both indicate memory and cognitive difficulties. Alzheimer's is a disease that causes dementia. When someone is told the have dementia, it means they have memory problems and other issues that can cause difficulty in day-to-day living. It's also important to understand that Alzheimer's is not the only disease that causes dementia. There are others such as Vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. All of these diseases cause dementia and are also degenerative to brain cells. You can see why these two terms might be confusing.
A Brief History
Mental deterioration with old age has been noted throughout history. In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered a collection of brain cell abnormalities in the brains of patients who suffered from this mental deterioration. He had a patient who had severe memory loss, cognitive disorders, and was unable to answer questions. When she died, he performed a brain autopsy and discovered plaques on nerves and tangles within the nerves. The disease was then named Alzheimer's disease. At the time of Dr. Alzheimer's discovery the condition was thought of as a normal process of aging. However, in the 1960s, with more research, the medical community formally declared Alzheimer's as a disease. It wasn't until the 1990's when scientists and doctors discovered more complex aspects of nerve cells in the brain, in relation to this disease. With this research, treatments were discovered in which treated the cognitive symptoms of the disease. Extensive research continues to be done and new information is being studied regarding environmental, genetic, and other risk factors for the disease. New information is also being discovered in relation to the processes leading to the formation of plaques and tangles in the brain. Genetics is also being studied and how common the disease is in families that have the specific genes. Despite the advances and continued studied, Alzheimer's disease is still incurable. The medications that do exist in relation to this disease are for symptom management.
Below is a link to a video called, 100 years of Discovery. This video talks about the development and research that has been done in relation to Alzheimer's disease.
Many people believe that dementia and Alzheimer's are the same thing, however they are very different. To be brief, dementia is a symptom, while Alzheimer's is a disease. These can be confusing because they both indicate memory and cognitive difficulties. Alzheimer's is a disease that causes dementia. When someone is told the have dementia, it means they have memory problems and other issues that can cause difficulty in day-to-day living. It's also important to understand that Alzheimer's is not the only disease that causes dementia. There are others such as Vascular dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. All of these diseases cause dementia and are also degenerative to brain cells. You can see why these two terms might be confusing.
A Brief History
Mental deterioration with old age has been noted throughout history. In 1906, Dr. Alois Alzheimer discovered a collection of brain cell abnormalities in the brains of patients who suffered from this mental deterioration. He had a patient who had severe memory loss, cognitive disorders, and was unable to answer questions. When she died, he performed a brain autopsy and discovered plaques on nerves and tangles within the nerves. The disease was then named Alzheimer's disease. At the time of Dr. Alzheimer's discovery the condition was thought of as a normal process of aging. However, in the 1960s, with more research, the medical community formally declared Alzheimer's as a disease. It wasn't until the 1990's when scientists and doctors discovered more complex aspects of nerve cells in the brain, in relation to this disease. With this research, treatments were discovered in which treated the cognitive symptoms of the disease. Extensive research continues to be done and new information is being studied regarding environmental, genetic, and other risk factors for the disease. New information is also being discovered in relation to the processes leading to the formation of plaques and tangles in the brain. Genetics is also being studied and how common the disease is in families that have the specific genes. Despite the advances and continued studied, Alzheimer's disease is still incurable. The medications that do exist in relation to this disease are for symptom management.
Below is a link to a video called, 100 years of Discovery. This video talks about the development and research that has been done in relation to Alzheimer's disease.
Cause
This is a picture of a healthy brain cell and then a brain cell that is affected by plaques and tangles.
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Like many other diseases, scientists believe that Alzheimer's disease can be caused by lifestyle, environmental factors, and genetics. Many people believe that because a family member suffered from Alzheimer's they are extremely likely to also suffer from the disease. However, less than 5% of the time, Alzheimer's has been found to be caused by a specific gene.
Research is still being done as to determine the actual cause of Alzheimer's. However, it is fully understood what damage the disease can do the brain and it's cells. A brain that has been affected by Alzheimer's has fewer connections among nerves and also has fewer cells. Alzheimer's disease is characterized by two abnormalities that are found in the nerves. Plaques are clumps of beta-amyloid, a protein which is produced by the body. These clumps interfere with cell-to-cell communication. Tangles are created by threads of tau protein. Tau protein is very important for support and transport of certain nutrients to the brain. The cause is unknown, but in Alzheimer's this protein twists into abnormal tangles in the brain cells. |
References for this page:
A History of Alzheimer's Disease. (2014, April 4). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/about/understanding/history.html
Alzheimer's disease. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/basics/definition /con-20023871
Alzheimer's Disease: 100 Years of Discovery. (2010, June 1). Retrieved February 15, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHwzz1-kWXE
What is Alzheimer's disease? - Ivan Seah Yu Jun. (2014, April 1). Retrieved February 27, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJXTXN4xrI8
What's the Difference Between Alzheimer's and Dementia. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2014/08 /difference-between-alzheimers-and-dementia.html
Image retrieved from:
http://www.gizmag.com/alzheimers-dementia-cure-yale-amyloid-treatment/29134/
http://www.brightfocus.org/alzheimers/about/understanding/plaques-and-tangles.html