Alzheimer's disease

Shahd K.M Almaqadma

SEU Georgian national university

April 2023
 Introduction:
While memories meant to stay with us forever and bring us happiness
every time we remember it, Alzheimer's disease causes people to lose
their memories. This disease is a kind of dementia that affects memory,
thinking, and behavior. It affects 30 million people globally. This
condition progressively worsens over time and causes the brain to shrink
and brain cells to die, destroying the patient's ability to remember the past
and to think clearly. According to experts, women experience it more
often than males. The two primary reasons are neurofibrillary (tangled
bundles of fibers) and amyloid plaques (abnormal aggregates). The illness
was given its name after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who made this discovery
while evaluating a woman who had passed away and shown memory loss,
language difficulties, and unpredictable conduct. The development of
symptoms may slow or improve by medications, also programs and
services can support those who are afflicted with the condition as well as
their caretakers.

Body:
Alzheimer's disease's primary symptom is memory loss. Having trouble
recalling recent conversations or occurrences is one of the early
symptoms. But when the condition worsens, memory declines and other
symptoms appear. Many factors, including a person's genetic makeup,
their exposure to the environment, and in some cases their way of life,
which has negative impacts on brain development, all have an impact on
Alzheimer's disease. Despite the fact that genetic makeups have been
linked to Alzheimer's causes, this only accounts for a tiny fraction of
cases (Alzheimer's Association, 2015)1. Only the middle-aged population
has been linked to the genetic alterations. Although most scientists
believe that the condition is caused by decreased brain protein
functioning, which prevents the brain from releasing toxins, the actual
origin of the illness is still unknown (Alzheimer's Association, 2015)2.
Toxins cause harm to brain cells as a result, especially memory cells,
which eventually die and lead to impaired memory and brain function.
Signs & Symptoms:
1
1 Alzheimer’s, A. (2015). Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association,
11(3), 332.
2
2 Alzheimer’s, A. (2015). Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures. Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association,
11(3), 332.
Memory issues are frequently the initial symptom of cognitive decline
brought on by Alzheimer's disease; however, they might differ from
person to person. There are three stages when the illness steadily gets
worse. Begin with mild Alzheimer's, it includes modifications in behavior
and short-term memory, these include patients asking the same questions
again, losing things regularly, or having trouble-remembering
appointments. Then there is moderate Alzheimer's disease. People exhibit
poor reasoning, difficulty with complicated activities, and reduced
judgment at this stage, which might include making bad financial
judgments or being unable to handle a bank account. Furthermore,
hallucinations, visual-spatial impairments, and language impairments
such trouble recalling familiar words and grammatical mistakes while
speaking or writing are also prevalent. Third, severe Alzheimer's disease.
Plaques and tangles that proliferate throughout the brain cause the brain
to shrink significantly. Patients are unable to converse or engage in any
physical activity as a result. Patients may spend the most of their time in
bed and are very reliant on others (NIH, 2017)3.
Diagnosis:
Given that Alzheimer's disease is a kind of dementia, it requires careful
investigation to differentiate it using various techniques and instruments.
Physical examination, family history analysis, and family members'
perceptions of the patient's actions make up the diagnosis. Also, the
diagnosis entails a formal mental state evaluation, during which the
patient's mood, affect, speech, and thinking processes are evaluated. 85%
of the criteria for diagnosing the condition are evident in laboratory tests,
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, positron emission tomography (PET),
and neuroimaging. The diagnosis is more likely to be Alzheimer disease
if the CSF study shows a low quantity of beta-amyloid and the PET scans
indicate amyloid deposits in the brain. Nevertheless, AD can only be
definitively diagnosed when a patient has passed away and a sample of
their brain tissue has been removed and analyzed under a microscope.
Treatment:
Unfortunately, there is no cure for AD, although an early identification
might limit the disease's progression. Memantine is a medication that
seems to slow the progression of AD. It treats AD in mild to severe
stages. Memantine modifies a crucial brain molecule that, if present in
excess, kills brain cells. There are many others who are studying, but
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3 https://www.alz.org/documents_custom/2017-facts-and-figures.pdf 6
none of them seem to be successful. Drugs like donepezil, galantamine,
and rivastigmine are used to temporarily enhance mental function,
including memory, but they do not delay the course of the illness.
Individuals with AD may have lower levels of the neurotransmitter
acetylcholine in the brain. A safe atmosphere is one of the methods for
treating AD without medication. Bright, upbeat, secure, stable, and
oriented-helping features should be present in the surroundings. It's
beneficial to have some stimulation, such as from a radio or television,
but too much stimulus should be avoided (Huang, 2018)4.
Complications:
Because patients with AD frequently become anxious and nervous, it's
important to maintain their surroundings calm so they don't start shouting,
throwing items, or attempting to hit people. It is better to establish a
pattern for them in order to keep them calm since new things in their
lives, such as traveling, trying new foods, or other changes, make them
anxious. Patients experience problems with their bladders and intestines
as the condition worsens. The caregiver should take the patient to the
restroom every few hours and be alert to the symptoms of a need for the
restroom in order to avoid these issues. Another issue among AD patients
is depression. Medications, regular exercise, and spending time with
loved ones would all help them psychologically. Patients with AD are
more likely to become unbalanced. Exercise would assist the muscles get
stronger and keep them from falling. Remove any items, such carpets or
extension cables that they could trip over.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative
condition that is regarded as an incurable illness. It now affects millions
of people and is on the rise. Since it kills the brain, Alzheimer's disease
has an impact on every physiological system in humans. It shrinks, or
atrophizes, the brain's neurons and their networks, which causes different
brain areas to shrink. There is currently no treatment available because
there is no known way to stop the degradation of these priceless cells.

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4 https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/how-alzheimers-disease-treated 3. Huang, J. (2018, March).