ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Alzheimer's disease

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction3

Description of Alzheimer's disease3

Causes of Alzheimer's disease4

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease4

Complications5

Diagnosis & Treatment5

What can the doctor do?6

Current Statistics of Affected People7

Conclusion7

Alzheimer's disease

Introduction

Alzheimer's disease is considered to be the most dangerous disease of the central nervous system. This disease has characteristics of mental ability loss (memory, speech, logical thinking). The main symptoms of increase in Alzheimer's disease arise after the age of 65. It is the fact the rate of people suffering from this disease is no too much but still is the essential reason of elderly dementia (Patterson 2008). This disease brings psychological pressure among the family members.

Description of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and is becoming increasingly prevalent as demographics shift toward an older population. Early and sensitive diagnosis of the disease would make treatments designed to slow the disease maximally effective. Several biomarkers already exist to assess the hallmark processes of AD including amyloid deposition (CSF Aß42 of PIB PET), synaptic dysfunction (FDG PET) and neurodegeneration (anatomic MRI). Understanding how each of these biomarkers relates to AD would allow for more sensitive diagnosis and even in vivo disease staging.

Alzheimer's disease continues to be the most common form of dementia. Risk factors include gender, educational attainment, ethnic background, and advancing age. This educational curriculum was designed to give clinicians exposure to important information and the opportunity to begin to implement assessment tools for identifying early warning signs.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Alzheimer's disease is the most commonly diagnosed form of dementia and is a growing public health concern for many reasons. The financial costs are staggering and threaten to overwhelm society's ability to shoulder them effectively. California bears a particularly heavy burden compared to other states. The majority of care provided to these patients comes from family members, whose needs are often neglected in the process because little is done to eliminate their burden (Potter 1992). Knowing which treatment interventions are helpful in slowing the progression of the disease and maintaining a good quality of life for as long as possible stands to benefit society as a whole.

Alzheimer's disease is a growing public health concern (Registered Nurses Association of Ontario 2003). According to data gathered via telephone survey by the Field Research Association from a random sample of 7,200 adults and 5,728 children in Los Angeles County in 2007, 310,000 county residents had cared for a person suffering from Alzheimer's or a similar type of memory loss. Projections forecast that the number of afflicted persons will double by 2030, due in large part to the aging population (Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of Assessment & Epidemiology, 2008)). As the issues faced by individuals, families, institutions, businesses, and state and federal governments come into sharper focus, increasing attention and resources are being directed at easing the societal burden of Alzheimer's and related forms of dementia through advocacy of changes in public policy (Rosenblatt 2008).

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

Daniel Christensen and Peter Lin focused on practical treatment strategies for ...