BIOLOGY

PROJECT FILE
ALZHEIMER

AKSHITA AGRAWAL

1|Page
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my
biology mentor Ms. Savita Luthra for her support,
guidance and encouragement, without which this
project would not have come forth. I would also like to
thank my parents and Brother who helped me and
assisted me in finalizing this project within the limited
time frame.

2|Page
 CERTIFICATE

This project have been satisfactorily performed by

Miss- Akshita Agrawal
Studying in- Ryan International School
Class- 12 Division –B
Roll Number – 03
During the academic year- 2016-2017

Date Teacher’s
signature

3|Page
 INDEX
S.no. TOPIC PAGE NO.

SNO. CONTENT

1) What is Alzheimer? 5

2) Symptoms of Alzheimer's 6

3) Alzheimer's and the brain 7

4) Who gets Alzheimer's disease? 10

5) Case Study 11

6) Health and lifestyle 13

7) Diagnosis 13

8) Treatment and support 14

9) Bibliography 15

4|Page
 What is Alzheimer?
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia, a general term for
memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with
daily life.

Alzheimer's
is not a
normal part of aging,
although the greatest known
risk factor is increasing age,
and the majority of people
`with Alzheimer's are 65 and
older. Up to 5 percent of
people with the disease have
early onset Alzheimer's, which often appears when someone is in their 40s or
50s.

Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive disease. In its

early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals
lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.
Those with Alzheimer's live an average of eight years after their symptoms
become noticeable to others, but survival can range from four to 20 years,
depending on age and other health conditions

Symptoms of Alzheimer's
Just like the rest of our bodies, our brains change as we age. Most of us
eventually notice some slowed thinking and occasional problems with
remembering certain things. However, serious memory loss, confusion and
other major changes in the way our minds work may be a sign that brain cells
are failing.

The symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are generally mild to start with, but they
get worse over time and start to interfere with daily life.

5|Page
Memory loss due to Alzheimer's disease increasingly interferes with daily life
as the condition progresses. The person may:

 lose items (e.g. keys, glasses) around the house

 struggle to find the right word in a conversation or forget someone's
name
 forget about recent conversations or events
 get lost in a familiar place or on a familiar journey
 Forget appointments or anniversaries.

Although memory difficulties are usually the earliest symptoms of Alzheimer's,

someone with the disease will also have difficulties with struggling to follow a
conversation or repeating themselves

 visuospatial skills – problems judging distance or seeing objects in

three dimensions; navigating stairs or parking the car become much
harder
 concentrating, planning or organizing – difficulties making decisions,
solving problems or carrying out a sequence of tasks (e.g. cooking a
meal)
 Orientation – becoming confused or losing track of the day or date.

A person in the earlier stages of Alzheimer's will often have changes in their
mood. They may become anxious, irritable or depressed. Many people become
withdrawn and lose interest in activities and hobbies.

6|Page
 ALZEIMER AND BRAIN
Microscopic changes in the brain begin long before the first signs of
memory loss.

The brain has 100 billion nerve cells (neurons). Each nerve cell connects with
many others to form communication networks. Groups of nerve cells have
special jobs. Some are involved in thinking, learning and remembering. Others
help us see, hear and smell.

To do their work, brain cells operate like tiny factories. They receive supplies,
generate energy, construct equipment and get rid of waste. Cells also process
and store information and communicate with other cells. Keeping everything
running requires coordination as well as large amounts of fuel and oxygen.
Scientists believe Alzheimer's disease prevents parts of a cell's factory from
running well. But just like a real factory, backups and breakdowns in one
system cause problems in other areas. As damage spreads, cells lose their ability
to do their jobs and, eventually die, causing irreversible changes in the brain

The role of plaques and tangles

Two abnormal structures called plaques and tangles are prime suspects in
damaging and killing nerve cells.
Plaques are deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid (BAY-tuh AM-
uh-loyd) that build up in the spaces between nerve cells.

7|Page
Tangles are twisted fibres of another protein called tau (rhymes with “wow”)
that build up inside cells.

Though most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, those with
Alzheimer's tend to develop far more.

It's the destruction and death of nerve cells that causes memory failure,
personality changes, problems carrying out daily activities and other symptoms
of Alzheimer's disease.

Different stages of Alzheimer

Mild Alzheimer's disease (early-stage)
In the early stages of Alzheimer's, a person may function independently. He or
she may still drive, work and be part of social activities. Despite this, the person
may feel as if he or she is having memory lapses, such as forgetting familiar
words or the location of everyday objects.

During a detailed medical interview, doctors may be able to detect problems in

memory or concentration. Common difficulties include:

 Problems coming up with the right word or name

 Trouble remembering names when introduced to new people
 Having greater difficulty performing tasks in social or work settings
 Forgetting material that one has just read
 Losing or misplacing a valuable object
 Increasing trouble with planning or organizing

Moderate Alzheimer's
disease (middle-stage)
Moderate Alzheimer's is
typically the longest stage and
can last for many years. As the
disease progresses, the person
with Alzheimer's will require a
greater level of care.

8|Page
 Damage to nerve cells in the brain can make it difficult to express thoughts
and perform routine tasks.

At this point, symptoms will be noticeable to others and may include:

 Forgetfulness of events or about one's own personal history

 Feeling moody or withdrawn, especially in socially or mentally
challenging situations
 Being unable to recall their own address or telephone number or the
high school or college from which they graduated
 Confusion about where they are or what day it is
 The need for help choosing proper clothing for the season or the
occasion
 Trouble controlling bladder and bowels in some individuals
 Changes in sleep patterns, such as sleeping during the day and becoming
restless at night
 An increased risk of wandering and becoming lost

Severe Alzheimer's disease (late-stage)

In the final stage of this disease, individuals lose the ability to respond to
their environment, to carry on a conversation and, eventually, to control
movement. As memory and cognitive skills continue to worsen,
personality changes may take place and individuals need extensive help
with daily activities. Individuals may:

 Require full-time, around-the-clock assistance with daily personal care

 Lose awareness of recent experiences as well as of their surroundings
 Require high levels of assistance with daily activities and personal care
 Experience changes in physical abilities, including the ability to walk, sit
and, eventually, swallow.
 Have increasing difficulty communicating. Become vulnerable to
infections, especially pneumonia

9|Page
 

Who gets Alzheimer's

disease?
Most people who develop Alzheimer's disease do so after the age of 65, but
people under this age can also develop it. This is called early-onset Alzheimer's
disease, a type of young-onset dementia.

Developing Alzheimer's disease is linked to a combination of factors, explained

in more detail below.

Age
Age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer's. The disease mainly affects
people over 65. Above this age, a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's
disease doubles approximately every five years.

Gender
For reasons that are not clear, there are about twice as many women as men
over 65 with Alzheimer's disease. It may be that Alzheimer's in women is linked
to a lack of the hormone estrogen after the menopause.

Genetic inheritance
Many people fear that the disease may be passed down to them from a parent or
grandparent. Scientists are investigating the genetic background to Alzheimer's.
There are a few families with a very clear inheritance of Alzheimer's from one
generation to the next.. However, Alzheimer's disease that is so strongly
inherited is extremely rare.. A number of genes are known to increase or reduce
a person's chances of developing Alzheimer's. For someone with a close relative

10 | P a g e
(parent or sibling) who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's when over 65, their risk
of developing the disease is increased.

Case Study
Family Experience of Living with
Alzheimer Disease
Alzheimer's is a disease which currently affects 42% of the UK population,
either through personal suffering, or though their loved ones. In actual fact,
Alzheimer's is a life-changing disease which affects all aspects of the sufferers'
day to day lives, as well as the people close to them.

Terry and Christine Rowleys

Terry Rowley 68, from Staffordshire was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in
May 2007 after undergoing a series of tests and having to spend time in a
psychiatric hospital. Terry did not fully understand why he was in the hospital
with other people who had mental disorders, and at times he was very frustrated
at not being allowed to go home.

11 | P a g e
After a trying few weeks and after undergoing weeks of tests, Terry was
prescribed Aricept, a drug used to help slow down the progression of
Alzheimer's disease.

Terry is still taking Aricept, and while the drug claims to help with the plaque
forming on the sufferers' brain, it can only delay the inevitable effects. It is
difficult to measure how effective the drug has been, until the sufferer stops
taking them. However, this became apparent when Terry took part in a drugs
trial in last year. He was among a handful of people who were included, and
was the only person from Stoke-on-Trent to participate in a Phase III trial. He
seemed to experience negative effects while on the trial, indicating that he may
have been one of those taking part who was given a drug rather than a placebo,
and that the drug would need some work before it was ready for use.

Ideally, a treatment that is sought by so many living with Alzheimer's is Ebixa.

Ebixa is seen as a step up from Aricept in the way that it works. Put simply,
while Aricept tries to slow down the process of plaque forming on the brain,
Ebixa attacks the plaque that has already formed.

As well as continuing to use the Aricept prescribed, Christine and the rest of the
family are open to other methods of relieving the effects of this devastating
illness. Because the levels of aluminum in the brain of an Alzheimer's sufferer
are significantly higher than they should be, it is a good idea to try and counter
balance this with foods which are high in potassium. This can be found in a
number of basic food and drink such as meat, fish, and potatoes and most fruit
and vegetables. Christine has tried on several occasions to introduce different
foods into Terry's diet, but has found no significant change.

It can be very upsetting to deal with the different aspects of the illness, as the
sufferer sometimes forgets the names of those closest to them, or maybe even
the fact they are married or have children. These are the times when it is vital to
remember that it is the illness talking, not your loved one. Having to explain to
someone where they live, who they are married to and even the names of their
friends and family is perhaps one of the most heart-breaking things.

However, sometimes it can also be good to have a short break, as Christine and
Terry found out when they went to a holiday respite centre in Southport last
month. They went as part of a scheme offered by the Alzheimer's society, and
spent the week being looked after by professionals. As well as giving them both
a change of scenery, it offered lots of activities for them to take part in as well
as day trips, and was fully equipped with qualified carers to deal with
Alzheimer's sufferers, taking some of the pressure off Christine.

12 | P a g e
It is often said that with Alzheimer's there are 'good days' and 'bad days' and it is
true up to a point.

Alzheimer's and dementia affect so many people and so many families, so why
is the awareness so low? Everyone seems to be aware of and willing to donate
money to other charities; Alzheimer's falls off the radar somewhere along the
way. If more money was raised, there might just be enough awareness and
money raised to give this illness the attention it so desperately requires. Any
families who have dealt with or are dealing with Alzheimer's will know that it is
not just an illness; it becomes a way of life.

Health and lifestyle

Medical conditions such as diabetes, stroke and heart problems, as well as high
blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity in mid-life, are all known to
increase the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

People who adopt a healthy lifestyle, especially from mid-life onwards, are less
likely to develop Alzheimer's disease. This means taking regular physical
exercise and keeping to a healthy weight, not smoking, eating a healthy
balanced diet and drinking only in moderation.

Diagnosis
Anyone who is concerned that they may
have Alzheimer's disease should seek
help from their GP. If someone does have
dementia, an early diagnosis has many

13 | P a g e
benefits: it provides an explanation for the person's symptoms; it gives access to
treatment, advice and support; and it allows them to prepare for the future and
plan ahead.

The GP or a practice nurse may ask the person to do some tests of mental
abilities.

In Alzheimer's disease there will usually have been a gradual worsening of

memory over several months. A family member may be more aware of these
changes than the person with suspected Alzheimer's is themselves.

The person may undergo a brain scan, which can show whether certain changes
have taken place in the brain. The most widely used are CT (computerized
tomography) and MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). In a person with early
Alzheimer's disease a brain scan may show that the hippocampus and
sorrounding brain tissue have shrunk.

Treatment and support

There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's disease, but there is a lot that can be
done to enable someone to live well
with the condition. This will involve
drug and non-drug care, support and
activities.

The person should have a chance to

talk to a professional about their
diagnosis.

This could be a psychiatrist or mental health nurse, a clinical psychologist,

occupational therapist or GP.There are drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease
that can temporarily alleviate some symptoms or slow down their progression in
some people. A person in the mild or moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease or
mixed dementia will often be prescribed a drug such as donepezil (e.g. Aricept),
rivastigmine (e.g. Exelon) or galantamine (e.g. Reminyl).

It is beneficial for a person with Alzheimer's to keep up with activities that they
enjoy. Many people benefit from exercising their mind with reading or puzzles.

Over time, changes in the person's behavior such as agitation or aggression

become more likely. General non-drug approaches often also help. These

14 | P a g e
include social interaction, music, reminiscence, exercise or other activities that
are meaningful for the person.

BIBLIOGRAGHY
1. www.nationalresearch.in
2. www.alzheimer’s.in
3. Wikipedia
4. Health and lifestyle magazine
5. www.fightdementia.org
6. www.alz.org

15 | P a g e