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Paper On Alzheimer's Disease

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Christina Thorpe Michael Langdon Intro to College Writing 831-103 Definition Essay 24 June 2015 Alzheimer’s disease is one of the leading causes of death in adults. (Farlex, 2003-2015) What is Alzheimer’s and how do we live with it? Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects two to four million people in our country and eight million more worldwide. Alzheimer’s is an aggressive disease that destroys the brain. “Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, a neurologic disease characterized by loss of mental ability severe enough to interfere with normal activities of daily living, lasting at least six months, and not present from birth.’ AD usually occurs in old age, and is marked by a decline in cerebral functions, …show more content…

By 1990, researchers thought they had it all figured out. (Costandi, 2014) Still Alzheimer’s has no cure, although there is medications and management strategies that can temporarily improve symptoms. The first symptoms of AD vary per person. Some of the first indications of Alzheimer’s disease for many are perception, not understanding visual images, and are not responsible for the decisions they make. “There are three brain irregularities that are the symbols of the Alzheimer’s disease process: loss of nerve cell connections, tangles, and plaques.” • Plaques. A protein called beta-amyloid accumulates and forms sticky clumps of amyloid plaque between nerve cells (neurons). Reduced levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine are associated with high levels of beta amyloid. (Neurotransmitters are chemical couriers in the brain.) Acetylcholine is part of the cholinergic system, which is critically and increasingly destroyed in Alzheimer’s disease. • Tangles. Neurofibrillary tangles are the injured remains of macrotubules, the support structure that allows the movement of nutrients through the neurons. A key feature of these tangled fibers is an unusual form of the tau protein, which in its normal version helps preserve healthy

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