Alzheimer's Disease Research Paper

One in nine people over the age of 65 are diagnosed with Alzheimers disease. It is also the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and the only one that can not be prevented, cured or slowed. The extreme affect that Alzheimers disease has on the brain is certain, but what exactly causes this change is still not clear. The average life expectancy of a person with Alzheimers disease is eight to ten years, although it can be as short as three years or as long as 20 years. There are 3 main stages in Alzheimers Disease, mild, moderate and severe; and this disease develops steadily from not remembering things due to damage to the hippocampus, to damage in the brain stem which controls breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. The cause …show more content…
However with Alzheimers disease during this process of shrinking,ventricles grow significantly and the brain loses large numbers of neurons. This is due to many mutations, in many different chromosomes, with many technical terms that I wont even begin to explain. These mutations have a couple clear effects on the neurons in our brain. The first one, found in the synapse, is referred to as amyloid plaques. This develops when a protein called amyloid precursor breaks down into smaller protein fragments called beta-amyloid 42 (The breakdown is cause by a mutation in chromosome 2). This protein easily clumps together; thus why it is looked at as a probable cause of disruption in the neuron synapse process. Whether these plaques are caused by Alzheimers disease or they contribute or even cause the disease, is still being studied by …show more content…
Along with ongoing medical exams the test results, the family of the patient are also report all the changes they see in the life of the patient. This diagnosis is important because, patients must know whether they actually have Alzheimers disease or it is a different disease, or maybe even a side effect of a drug they have been taking. Knowing whether you have the disease or not helps plan for the future, while the patient is still able to make certain

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