Transcript Alzheimer Disease - Coshocton High School

Alzheimer’s Disease
Human Behavior
What is Alzheimer’s
• Incurable, progressive degenerative disease
of the brain
• NOT just memory loss…
• …also decline in ability to think and
understand…
• …cause an inability to function
What is Alzheimer’s
• NOT a part of normal aging…
• Type, severity, sequence and progression
varies among individuals
• Form of dementia…
• Brain disorder that affects a person’s ability
to carry out daily activities
History…
• Named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer
• German Doctor
• 1906 – noticed changes in the brain tissue
of a woman who had a mysterious death
First known case…
Symptoms / Warning Signs
• Memory loss / unexplained confusion
• Difficulty with familiar tasks / chores
• Problems speaking, understanding, reading
or writing
• Forgetting words or substituting
inappropriate words
• Disorientation (getting lost in familiar
settings)
Symptoms / Warning Signs
• Poor or decrease judgment (wearing a
winter coat in the summer)
• Problems with abstract thinking (difficulty
balancing the checkbook)
• Misplacing things (putting the iron in the
freezer)
• Changes in mood (rapid mood swings)
• Drastic changes in personality
Memory Test
Symptoms / Warning Signs
• …early signs are often dismissed as normal
signs of aging
– Forgetfulness / loss of concentration
8 years average. Range – 2-20 years
The Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Typical AgeRelated Behavior
• Signs of Alzheimer’s
• Typical Age-Related
• Poor judgment /
decision-making
• Inability to manage a
budget
• Losing track of the
date or season
• Making a bad choice
• Missing a monthly
payment
• Forgetting which day
it is and remembering
The Difference Between Alzheimer’s and Typical AgeRelated Behavior
• Signs of Alzheimer’s
• Typical Age-Related
• Difficulty having a
conversation
• Misplacing things and
not being able to find
them
• Sometime forgetting
which word to use
• Losing things from
time to time
Causes…
• Scientists do not know 100% what the cause
is…
• Neurons die in areas vital to memory and
other mental abilities
• Lower levels or neurotransmitters (brain
chemicals that carry messages)
– Acetylcholine (ACh)– memory and learning
Causes…
• Genetics – scientist believe this plays a
factor
• Other risk factors…
– heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high
cholesterol
– low level of vitamin folate…
• Form of Vitamin B (found in leafy vegetables)
• Needed for production of new cells
Main Theories…
•
Chemical Theory
–
–
•
Neurotransmitters (Ach)
Increased aluminum
Genetic Theory
–
Inheritance of a gene /
•
–
Makes -- (ApoE) apoliprotein
Mutation on chromosome 1, 12, 21
Main Theories…
• Autoimmune Theory
– Immune system begins to attack it’s own body
• Slow Virus Theory
– A slow acting virus is believed to be a cause
• Blood Vessel Theory
– Defects in blood vessels
How is it diagnosed?
• Early, accurate diagnosis is key to help
patients and families…
• …and offers the best chance to treat the
symptoms
• Only true diagnosis can happen during
autopsy…look at brain tissue
How is it diagnosed?
• Doctors can diagnose correctly about 90%
of the time
• Tools to diagnose…
– Complete Medical History
– Complete List of Problems encountered
– Tests of blood, spinal fluid, urine to rule out
other possible causes
– Tests of memory, problem solving, attention,
counting and language
How is it diagnosed?
• Tools to diagnose cont.
– Brain Scans…
• CT – Computerized Tomography
• MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• PET – Positron Emission Tomography
PET scan showing no functioning
in the temporal lobe
Treatments…
• AD is a slow disease – memory problems to
severe brain damage
• On average AD patients live 8 to 10 yrs
after diagnosis…some 20
• No treatment can stop AD!!!
Treatments…
• Drugs may prevent symptoms from
becoming worse too rapidly…
• …but they often have side effects
• Different drugs for each case
• …often they can slow down the symptoms
for a limited time.
Treatment…
• Sensory Therapy
Interesting Facts…
• Estimated about 5 million Americans have
AD – 15 million worldwide
• 1 in 10 over 65
• 5 in 10 over 85
• Risk doubles every 5 yrs over 65
• 4th leading cause of death
– Heart disease, cancer, stroke, then AD
Interesting Facts…
• Fastest growing disease of the 20th century
• More common in women (because on
average they live longer than men)
• There is a rare form that effects people in
their 30s and 40s
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 1: Memory loss is a natural part of aging.
• Reality: In the past people believed memory
loss was a normal part of aging, often
regarding even Alzheimer’s as natural agerelated decline. Experts now recognize
severe memory loss as a symptom of serious
illness.
• Whether memory naturally declines to some
extent remains an open question. Many
people feel that their memory becomes less
sharp as they grow older, but determining
whether there is any scientific basis for this
belief is a research challenge still being
addressed.
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 2: Alzheimer’s disease is not fatal.
• Reality: Alzheimer's disease has no
survivors. It destroys brain cells and
causes memory changes, erratic
behaviors and loss of body functions. It
slowly and painfully takes away a
person's identity, ability to connect with
others, think, eat, talk, walk and find his
or her way home.
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 3: Only older people can get Alzheimer's
• Reality: Alzheimer's can strike people in their
30s, 40s and even 50s. This is called youngeronset Alzheimer's. In 2009, it is estimated that
there are as many as 5.3 million people living with
Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. This
includes 5.1 million people age 65 and over and
200,000 people under age 65 with younger-onset
Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 4: Drinking out of aluminum cans or
cooking in aluminum pots and pans can lead to
Alzheimer’s disease.
• Reality: During the 1960s and 1970s,
aluminum emerged as a possible suspect in
Alzheimer’s. This suspicion led to concern
about exposure to aluminum through
everyday sources such as pots and pans,
beverage cans, antacids and antiperspirants.
Since then, studies have failed to confirm any
role for aluminum in causing Alzheimer’s.
Experts today focus on other areas of
research, and few believe that everyday
sources of aluminum pose any threat.
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 5: Aspartame causes memory loss.
• Reality: This artificial sweetener, marketed
under such brand names as Nutrasweet and
Equal, was approved by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) for use in all foods
and beverages in 1996. Since approval,
concerns about aspartame's health effects
have been raised.
• According to the FDA, as of May 2006, the
agency had not been presented with any
scientific evidence that would lead to change
its conclusions on the safety of aspartame for
most people. The agency says its conclusions
are based on more than 100 laboratory and
clinical studies.
Alzheimer's Myths
• Myth 6: Flu shots increase risk of Alzheimer’s
disease
• Reality: A theory linking flu shots to a greatly
increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease has
been proposed by a U.S. doctor whose
license was suspended by the South Carolina
Board of Medical Examiners. Several
mainstream studies link flu shots and other
vaccinations to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's
disease and overall better health.
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 7: Silver dental fillings increase risk of
Alzheimer's disease
• Reality: According to the best available scientific
evidence, there is no relationship between silver
dental fillings and Alzheimer's. The concern that
there could be a link arose because "silver" fillings
are made of an amalgam (mixture) that typically
contains about 50 percent mercury, 35 percent
silver and 15 percent tin. Mercury is a heavy metal
that, in certain forms, is know to be toxic to the
brain and other organs.
Alzheimer’s Myths
• Myth 8: There are treatments available
to stop the progression of Alzheimer's
disease
Reality: At this time, there is no treatment
to cure, delay or stop the progression of
Alzheimer's disease. FDA-approved drugs
temporarily slow worsening of symptoms
for about 6 to 12 months, on average, for
about half of the individuals who take them.