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The Fight for Your Brain: Alzheimer’s Disease

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The Fight for Your Brain: Alzheimer’s Disease
The Fight For Your Brain: Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is described as a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia. It usually starts in late middle age or in old age and results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, and is considered a progressive neurologic disease of the brain that leads to the irreversible loss of neurons. (Mednet.com, 2011) Alzheimer’s disease causes brain changes that gradually get worse over a period of time. It is the most common cause of dementia which is explained as a group of brain disorders that cause progressive loss of intelligence and social skills that is severe enough to alter and interfere with a daily life style. In Alzheimer’s disease, brain cells degenerate and die, causing a steady decline and loss of memory and mental health functions. (MayoClinic.com, 2011) Alzheimer’s is a very serious condition and disease with no known cure, though studies and research are still being taken around the world. Alzheimer’s disease not only affects the elderly adult that has the disease, but the family members, friends, community, their jobs, and lifestyle. The cost of care and lost productivity exceeds three hundred billion each and every year in the United States alone. (Brody, 2011)
Alzheimer’s disease affects a decent amount of the elderly population. Researcher’s efforts hope and aim to discover treatments that prevent Alzheimer’s or slow the diseases progression. Education and management strategies can temporarily improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s, but never permanently. (MayoClinic.com, 2011) It cannot be diagnosed diffidently without an autopsy of the brain. Alzheimer’s leading to dementia affects six out of every one

hundred adults over the age of sixty, especially since more and more individuals are making it to an older age and living longer. (Brody, 2011) There is a three stage process n the diagnosis of



References: Brody, H. (2011). Alzheimer 's disease. Nature, 475(7355), S1. doi:10.1038/475S1a New diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer 's disease. Experts hope the guidelines will improve diagnosis and foster research. (2011). The Harvard Mental Health Letter / From Harvard Medical School, 28(2), 1-3. Mayo Clinic.com, Alzheimer’s. Medterms.com, Alzheimer’s Disease. Namenda.com, Alzheimer’s

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