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Alzheimer’s disease connotes a disorder that makes one unable to reason properly. In order words, it is the progressive deterioration of the mind. Memory and thought processes become affected.
The disease derives its name from the man who first discovered it, Alois Alzheimer in 1906. It works by gradually shutting down production of essential neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, noradrenaline and glutamate. This results in the entanglement of nerve fibers leading into and out of the hippocampus of the brain. Due to this, information can no longer be carried to and from the brain. Thus, new memories are not stored and old memories are unable to be retrieved.
Besides this development, plaques of beta-amyloid, a kind of protein augments in the brain damaging nerve cells. Beta-amyloid is a little portion of a parent protein known as amyloid precursor protein (APP). It comes about when APP is cut by other proteins. This occurs when APP is activated to perform its tasks in the body. Some scientists have it that the errors in processes that control production and the accumulation or disposal of beta-amyloid generates Alzheimer’s disease. This theory is known as the amyloid hypothesis.
Alzheimer’s disease occurs in three major stages namely
1. the early or mild stage,
2. the middle or moderate stage and
3. the later or severe stage.
At the onset or mild stage the patient suffers symptoms such as memory loss on current information such as a conversation or a mention of someone’s name. He develops a problem of misunderstanding of language and could also inquire of things that he knew before. There may be moderate difficulties in writing and the use of items.
Early stage symptoms occur in persons below 65 years old (between 36 and 45) and those who have a history of the disease in their family. It could be that either their parents or grandparents had suffered the disease at one time.
During the middle or moderate stage he may experience among other signs, chronic memory loss, incoherent speech, delusions, aggressive behaviour, rigidity of the muscles, slowness, and the inability to recognize his immediate surroundings.
In the later or severe stage, a patient exhibits symptoms that include complete forgetfulness of present and past information, he loses the capacity to recall events, communicate or process information. Stamina decreases causing him to fall easily when he tries rising, sitting or walking. Hallucinations as well as delirium could occur at this stage. Furthermore, he could experience difficulties in swallowing of food or drink and may be prone to attacks by other diseases. This level of Alzheimer’s disease is found in patients who are either 65 or 70 years. The disease is known to affect 5% of people who attain age 65 and over 20% of those who reach 85 years.
Alzheimer’s disease could affect both sexes, that is males and females. Yet women are more at risk of the disease than men. Age, family history and genetics are the determinants of Alzheimer’s disease.
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