Alzheimers Disease Essay -- Alzheimers Disease Essays

We be currently living in the age of technology. Our advancements in thepast few decades overshadow everything learned in the last 2000 years. With theelimination of many diseases through effective cures and treatments, Canadianscan expect to live a oftentimes longer life then that of their grandparents. In 1900about 4% of the Canadian population was over the age of 65. In 1989 that determinetripled to 12% and the government expects that figure to rise to 23% by the year2030 (Medical,1991,p.13). This increase has brought with it a large increase indiseases associated with old age. Alzheimers dementia (AD) is one of the mostcommon and feared diseases afflicting the venerable community. AD, once thought tobe a natural part of aging, is a severely debilitating form of mental dementia.Although some other types of dementia are curable or effectively treatable,there is currently no cure for the Alzheimer variety.A general overview of Alzheimers disease including the clinicaldescription , diagnosis, and progression of symptoms, helps one to further visualise the treatment and care of patients, the scope of the problem, andcurrent research.The clinical definition of dementia is "a declension in intellectualperformance that involves, but is not contain to, a loss in at least 2 of thefollowing areas language, judgement, memory, visual or depth perception, orjudgement interfering with daily activities" (Institute,1996, p.4).The sign cause of AD symptoms is a result of the progressivedeterioration of brain cells (neurons) in the noetic cortex of the brain. Thisarea of the brain, which is the largest and uppermost portion, controls all ourthought processes, movement, speech, and senses. This deterioration initiallystarts in the area of the cortex that is associated with memory and thenprogresses into other areas of the cortex, then into other areas of the brainthat control bodily function. The death of these cells causes an interruption ofthe electrochemical signals between neurons that are a key to cognitive as wellas bodily functioning.Currently AD can only be corroborate at autopsy. After death the examinedbrain of an Alzheimer victim shows two distinct characteristics. The first isthe presence of neuritic plaques in the cerebral cortex and other areas of thebrain including cerebral blood vessels.... ...988).Understanding Alzheimers disease.New York Scribners.Brassard, Daniel.(1993).Alzheimers Disease.Ottawa Library of Parliament,Science andTechnology Division.Brown, Phyllida.(1992, November 7).Alzheimers May Not be Linked to Aluminum.NewScientistSupplement,p.6.Carlton University Department of Health SciencesFreenet.(1996).Internet.httpwww.nct.carltonca/fp/social.services/alzheimer/disease.dirEvans, Denis, et al.(1989).Prevalence of Alzheimers Disease in a confederationPopulation ofOlder Persons.Journal of the American Medical Association,272(15),1152.Institute for Brain Aging.(1996).Internet.httpwww.128.200.55.17/aboutad.htmlMedi cal Research Council of Canada.(1991).Presidents Report 1989-1990.Myers, David.(1996).Exploring Psychology.New York Worth.Pollen, Daniel.(1990).Hannahs Heirs The Quest For the Genetic Origins ofAlzheimersDisease.LondonOxford University Press.Statement on Use of Apolipoprotein E Testing for AlzheimersDisease.(1996).American College of Medical Genetics/American Society of HumanGenetics Working Group on ApoE and AlzheimersDisease.Internet.httpwww.faseb.org/genetics/asng/policy/pot