Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurological disorder characterized by slow and progressive impairment of cognitive function and affects up to four million Americans. Symptoms include changes in language skills, decision-making ability, judgment, attention and memory loss. The most common form of AD is age-related with an onset of approximately age 60. Early onset AD is a genetically transmitted disease with an onset before age 60. Both forms of AD are characterized by the same symptoms including forgetfulness, untidiness, confusion, restlessness and lethargy, and deficiency in decision making. These symptoms are followed by a second stage in which patients lose interest in their surroundings and are often confined to a wheelchair or a bed. The final stage includes emptiness of the mind, the loss of control of all body functions and severe brain damage leading to death.
The cause of AD is unknown but the appearance of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles point to abnormal processing of amyloid proteins. These are common problems that occur with normal aging, but an AD patient has a far greater accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. These collectively decrease the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, which leaves the brain with an imbalance and as a result the normal brain and body functions are hindered. No cure has been found but vaccines are being researched and tested. This might allow resistance to the formation of AD in individuals as they start to age.
