Running Head: ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
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What’s My Title Again…
Oh Yeah:
Alzheimer’s Disease
Appalachian State University
December 1, 2014
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Alzheimer’s disease is said to affect about 5.3 million Americans (Russell & Richards,
2004, p. 2). The possibility of this disease increases with age, however, it is not a natural part of
aging. Most people with the disease are 65 years or older, but there are cases of early-onset
Alzheimer’s, which affects about 5 percent of people carrying the disease (Alzheimer’s
Association, 2014).
Alzheimer’s causes a dramatic change in the brain over time. It leads to nerve cell death
and tissue loss, eventually shrinking the brain. The cortex and hippocampus are one of the main
things that are affected during this shrinkage, explaining why Alzheimer patients have trouble
thinking, remembering, and forming memories. There is no definite cause to the cell death as of
this point, however, plaques and tangles are suspected to be the main reason. Plaques are
unusual clusters of protein fragments which are seen between nerves, those are which also
contain tangles that are made up from twisted strands of another protein. Plaques form when
chemically “sticky” pieces of protein called beta-amyloid clump together. When tangles form in
the brain, nutrients and other supplies cannot move through the vital cell transport system
(Alzheimer’s Association, 2014).
There are seven stages to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The first and second
stages result in little to no impairment. Forgetfulness during these stages can be passed off as
normal memory lapses that may occur from increasing age. During the third stage, the afflicted
person will begin to experience confusion or mild cognitive impairment, such as difficulty
planning or misplacing objects. This stage lasts from 2 to seven years. Stage four is described as
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mild Alzheimer’s. The person begins to forget recent events or interactions and has trouble
remembering how to do progressive tasks. They will often deny and try to cover up problems.
This stage can last about 2 years and it is possible to diagnose Alzheimer’s at this point
(Robinson, Saison, & Segal, 2014).
Independent living is no longer a possibility for people in stage five, which is called early
dementia or moderate Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia is “a general term for memory loss and
other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life” and 60 to 80 percent of
dementia cases result from Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Association, 2014). These people
now require supervision to complete even the simplest of tasks and lasts for about 1.5 years
(Robinson, Saison, & Segal, 2014).
Daily living tasks become progressively more difficult as patients move onto the sixth
stage. They lose total awareness of their present and past memories. Personalities begin to
change and can take on agitation and hallucinations, sometimes even wandering off. This may
be from the shrinking of the frontal lobe in the brain. They cannot often remember close family
members and this lasts about 2.5 years. The seventh and final stage results in a loss of most
speech and movement. These people must be supervised 24/7 and helped with daily living.
Depending on the care that is given, they can last in this stage anywhere from 1 to 2.5 years
(Robinson, Saison, & Segal, 2014).
For most cases of Alzheimer’s, the cause is not exactly known. However, there have
been some cases where genetics may have played a big part. According to Russell and Richards,
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
“90% of [Alzheimer’s] cases are sporadic; the remaining 10% are inherited.” They also say that
the “average survival is 4-6 years about initial diagnosis…” While advanced age is the primary
cause of Alzheimer’s, people with direct relatives with AD, down syndrome, cardiovascular
disease and certain lifestyle choices also play a role in people developing Alzheimer’s later in
life.
Although there is no exact cure for Alzheimer’s, treatments and research are still
working towards finding a way to delay the effects and damage done by the disease. Finding a
cure to stop or remove the forming of plaque and tangles may result in being able to slow or
avoid the disease later on in life.
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References
Alzheimer's Association. (2014). Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia | Alzheimer's Association.
Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.alz.org/
Robinson, L., Saison, J., & Segal, J. (2014, November). Alzheimer’s Disease: Symptoms, Stages, Diagnosis,
and Coping Tips. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/alzheimers-dementia/alzheimers-disease.htm
Russell, T., & Richards, S. (2004). Alzheimer's Disease. Cinahl Information Systems, 2. Retrieved from
http://0-eds.b.ebscohost.com.wncln.wncln.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=17700370a2dc-40ff-9ff2-3bb77921ca03%40sessionmgr111&vid=7&hid=127