Alzheimer's
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer's disease (AD), also called Alzheimer disease, senile dementia, primary degenerative of AD dementia of AD, simply Alzheimer's. Currently is there no cure for the disease, which becomes worse as it progresses over time, and eventually leads to death. It was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and got its name from him.
Most often, it is diagnosed in people over 65 years of age, although Alzheimer's can occur much earlier. In 2006, there were 26.6 million sufferers worldwide. Alzheimer's is predicted to affect 1 in 85 people globally by 2050. Although Alzheimer's disease develops differently for every individual, there are many common symptoms. In the early stages of AD, the most common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. When AD is suspected, the diagnosis is usually confirmed with tests that evaluate behaviour and thinking abilities, often followed by a brain scan.
Alzheimer's symptoms can include:
As times goes by gradually, bodily functions are lost, and can ultimately leading to death. Since the disease is different for each individual, predicting how it will affect the person is very difficult. AD develops for an unknown and variable amount of time before becoming fully apparent, and it can progress undiagnosed for years. The life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years.
The cause of AD is not fully known. Research indicates that AD is associated with plaques and tangles in the brain. Current treatments only help with the symptoms of the disease. There are no available treatments that stop or reverse the progression of the disease. Today, more than 500 clinical trials have been conducted to find treatments for the disease, but it is unknown if any of the tested treatments will work. Some of the alternative treatments are; mental stimulation, exercise, and a balanced diet, and they seem to delay symptoms in healthy older individuals, but they have not been proven as effective.
What causes Alzheimer's?
The cause of Alzheimer's disease is not known. But the "amyloid cascade hypothesis" is the most widely discussed and researched hypothesis about the cause of Alzheimer's disease. Mutations associated with Alzheimer's disease have been found in about half of the patients with the early-phase of AD. In all of these patients, the mutation leads to excess production in the brain of a specific form of a small protein fragment called ABeta (Aβ). Scientists believe that in the majority of non-inherited cases of AD there is too little removal of this Aβ protein rather than too much production. In any case, much of the research in finding ways to prevent or slow down Alzheimer's disease has focused on ways to decrease the amount of Aβ in the brain.
Do you suffer from Alzheimers or another disease and want to participate in a Research Project, please fill out the form or let us contact you by using the Call me function.
