A Quick Introduction To Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
is a neurological disorder which affects many parts of the brain and
can result in changes to a person's memory, thought and behavior. Let's
discuss more about the causes, symptoms and treatments available.
It is not altogether understood why Alzheimer's disease
occurs. However it affects the brain by disrupting the way in which
electrical charges travel through the brain cells along with the action
of neurotransmitters. This disruption ultimately affects many different
functions of the brain.
The disease also destroys areas of the
brain. Over time it can significantly shrink the size of the brain which
has a great impact on the ability of the brain to function properly.
This shrinkage greatly impacts the hippocampus which is involved in
working memory as well as the formulation of new memories. This is why a
common symptom of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease is loss of
memory.
The disease can also affect the cortex which is the area responsible for thinking, planning and organizing.
The
disease begins by impacting a person's ability to remember things. Over
time they forget many things which were well known to them and acquired
over their lifetimes. Eventually it can impact their ability to
remember close family and friends as well as their ability to perform
essential tasks like brushing their teeth or maintaining themselves.
It
also affects their ability to speak and comprehend even the simplest
instructions. If the brain of a healthy person is studied versus one
with Alzheimer's disease it has been found that the healthy brain has
many more active brain cells. The brain with Alzheimer's disease also
shows the presence of plaque which is abnormal clusters of proteins.
These build up between the healthy brain cells and impact their function
and eventually destroy them.
There is no cure for this disease.
However there are a number of drugs which have been shown to slow the
progression of the disease. Important work is continuing to develop new
drugs which can ultimately cure the disease by dissolving the plaque
before it has an opportunity to destroy and disrupt healthy brain cells.
In
addition there are techniques which can also slow the progression of
the disease and in some cases reverse the impact of it. This is why it
is so important to identify the onset of the disease so appropriate
measures can be taken to minimize its impact and slow its progression.
