What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Scientists aren’t absolutely sure what causes cell death and tissue loss in the Alzheimer's brain, but the plaques and tangles are prime suspects.

Does Memory Loss Always Mean Dementia?

Dementia is a broad category of symptoms that affect the brain and causes memory loss.

Early onset Alzheimer's

Although, Alzheimer’s is viewed as a disease of the elderly, up to 5% of Americans with Alzheimer’s have the early-onset variety, which can start to show symptoms as early as one’s 30s.

Showing posts with label Alzheimer's treatment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alzheimer's treatment. Show all posts

Saturday, December 29, 2018

What is Alzheimer’s Disease and How is it Treated?

Alzheimers disease treatment

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that causes brain cells to degenerate, resulting in memory loss and cognitive decline. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80% of dementia cases in the U.S. Symptoms of Alzheimer’s usually develop slowly, but get worse over time, and at the end stage the patient forgets how to perform daily tasks such as wearing a shirt or going to the bathroom.

Statistics

Alzheimer’s is the 6thleading cause of death in the U.S. More than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. The number is believed to rise to nearly 14 million by 2050. Every 65 seconds, someone in the U.S. develops Alzheimer’s.
Globally, every 3 seconds someone develops dementia. In 2015, an estimated 46.8 million people worldwide were living with dementia and this number is projected to rise to 50 million in 2017. Much of the increase will be in developing countries. Low and middle-income countries already have 58% of dementia cases worldwide. China, India, and other South Asian countries will see a dramatic rise in dementia cases because these countries are seeing the fastest growth in their elderly population.


A Short History



Alzheimers disease treatment
Dr. Alzheimer (left), his patient Auguste Deter (right)

The disease is named after German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1901. During the 1890s, Dr. Alzheimer had a female patient named Auguste Deter. Fifty-year-old Deter was showing signs of dementia. She also had trouble sleeping, and she’d drag sheets across the house, and scream for hours in the middle of the night. Deter was admitted to a mental institution in Frankfurt, Germany. When Dr. Alzheimer would ask her to write her name, she’d forget her name and repeat, “I have lost myself.” When she was put in an isolation room for a while and later released, she ran out screaming, “I will not be cut. I do not cut myself.” Dr. Alzheimer called it the “Disease of Forgetfulness.” Deter died in 1906 of “sepsis caused by an infected bedsore” in 1906. Alzheimer decided to examine her brain and upon examination he discovered senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These are the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

What Causes Alzheimer’s?

Like all types of dementia, Alzheimer's disease is caused by brain cell death.

Beta Amyloid Plaques


Alzheimers disease treatment

In Alzheimer’s disease amyloid plaques accumulate between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. Amyloid is a general term for protein fragments thatour body produces naturally. Beta amyloid is a protein piece clipped from an amyloid precursor protein (APP). In the brain of a healthy person, these pieces of protein are broken down and removed. But in Alzheimer's disease, these fragments are not eliminated and they amass to form solid, insoluble plaques.

Neurofibrillary Tangles

These are insoluble twisted fibers found inside the cells of the brain. A protein called tau is the main component of these tangles. Tau builds part of a structure called a microtubule, which aids in transporting nutrients and other vital substances from one part of the nerve cell to another. Inside the brain of Alzheimer's disease patient, the tau protein is abnormal and the microtubule formations collapse.

What are the Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s?

Age. Increased age is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. For most people with Alzheimer’s, they get it after age 65.

Family history. People who have a parentor sibling with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop the disease.

Gender. Women are at greater risk of developing the disease than men. Out of the 5 million people living with Alzheimer’s in the United States, 3.2 million are women.

Genes. Genes play a big role in the development of Alzheimer’s. According to scientists, two categories of genes – risk genes and deterministic genes – influence whether a person develops a disease. Alzheimer's genes have been found in both categories.

Down syndrome. Scientists do not know why, but people with Down Syndrome often get Alzheimer's disease in their 30s and 40s.

Head injury. Some studies have found a link between Alzheimer's disease and a major head trauma.

Other factors. High cholesterol in blood and high blood pressure may also raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s
Early-onset Alzheimer's can affect younger people with a family history of the disease, normally between the ages of 30 and 60 years. Less than 5% of all Alzheimer’s cases are early-onset.

What are the Symptoms of Alzheimer’s?

The early signs of Alzheimer’s may be forgetting recent events or conversations. The progression of the disease causes the person to develop severe memory impairment, which makes them unable to carry out simple everyday tasks. However, it should be noted that loss of memory doesn’t always mean dementia.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease may include:
  • Misplacing personal belongings
  • Repetitive questions or conversations
  • Getting lost in familiar surroundings
  • Forgetting appointments orevents
  • Lack of understanding of safety risks
  • Unable to make decisions or poor decision-making ability
  • Inability to oversee finances
  • Inability to recognize faces
  • Difficulty finding common words while conversing
  • Inability to use simple tools
  • Impaired speaking, writing and reading
  • Errors in writing, spelling and speaking
  • Mood changes, including agitation, apathy and social withdrawal
  • Compulsive, obsessive, or socially unacceptable behavior
  • Loss of empathy

What are the Stages of Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer's progression can be broken down into 3 main stages:
Preclinical. It is the stage before symptoms appear
Mild cognitive impairment. Symptoms are mild at this stage
Dementia. This is the stage when the person is believed to have dementia

How is Alzheimer’s Diagnosed?

There is no single test for Alzheimer's, so doctors usually do a check on the person's medical history, history from relatives, and behavioral observations before making a diagnosis. Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Single-photon emission computedtomography (SPECT) or positron emission tomography (PET) are standard procedures, which help to exclude other cerebral pathology or subtypes of dementia.
The person's neurological function may also be checked. It may be done by testing their senses, balance, and reflexes.
Other tests may include a blood or urine test etc.
Sometimes the dementia symptoms may be linked to an inherited disorder such as Huntington's disease, so doctors may do a genetic testing.

Cognitive Assessment
Alzheimers disease treatment

To do a cognitive assessment, the doctor may ask the person following questions:
  • What is your first name and last name?
  • What is your age?
  • What is your spouse’s name?
  • What is your date of birth?
  • What is the time, to the nearest hour?
  • Can you recognize two people, for example, the doctor, nurse, or caregiver?
  • What year is it now?
  • In which year did (WW II) happen?
  • What is the name of the hospital or town we are in?
  • Who’s the president?
  • Count backward from 20 down to 1

What are the treatments for Alzheimer’s?

There is no known cure for Alzheimer's. Scientists cannot reverse the death of brain cells.
However, therapeutic interventions may ease the symptoms of the disease.

Is Alzheimer’s Preventable?

Alzheimer's isn’t a preventablecondition. But a range of lifestyle risk factors for the condition can be modified. Studies have found that changes in diet, exercise and habits – steps to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease – may also reduce one’s risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other disorders that cause dementia. The following lifestyle choices may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's:

  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat lots of fruits and vegetables, healthy oils and foods low in saturated fat
  • Follow guidelines to manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol
  • Do not smoke
Studies have shown that creating art, participating in social events, reading, playing board games, dancing, playing an instrument, and other activities that require mental activity and social engagement may help keep dementia at bay.

Famous People with Alzheimer’s

Alzheimers disease treatment
Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life"
  • Malcolm Young (1953 – 2017). Legendary guitarist of AC/DC
  • Glenn Campbell (1936-2017). Country singer and guitarist
  • Perry Como (1912-2001). Singer, TV personality
  • Charles Bronson (1921 — 2003). Actor, famous for “Deathwish” movies
  • Ronald Reagan (1911 – 2004). US president
  • Charlton Heston (1923 – 2008). Legendary actor
  • Norman Rockwell (1894 – 1978). Famous painter
  • Rita Hayworth (1918 – 1987). Famous actress
  • Sugar Ray Robinson (1921 – 1989). Famous boxer
  • Estelle Getty (1923 – 1998). Actress well-known for “Golden Girls”
  • Peter Falk (1927 – 2011). Actor, best known for TV series “Columbo”
  • James Stewart (1908 – 1997). Legendary actor famous for “It’s a wonderful life,” “Mr. Smith goes to Washington,” and many other movies
  • Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005). Civil rights activist known as “the Mother of the Freedom Movement”
  • Robin Williams (1951 – 2014). Famous actor. Although Williams was thought to have Alzheimer’s, it was revealed after his death that he wassuffering from Lewy Body Dementia.
  • Casey Kasem (1932 – 2014). Famous for America’s Top 40 Countdown

If you have a loved one who you think might have Alzheimer’s, you may seek help by contacting Alzheimer’s helpline.

Families of Alzheimer’s patients can seek help from senior care referral services such as A Place for Mom to receive care options that’s a good match for their family.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Blocking brain inflammation stops Alzheimer’s


brain inflammation

Researchers from the University of Southampton have discovered that blocking the production of new immune cells in the brain can help prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Experts described the findings as “exciting” and said it could lead to new treatments for the disease.
Researchers said their discovery added weight to evidence that inflammation in the brain is what propels the disease. [Read more Drug slows Alzheimer’s by boosting brain’s ‘garbage disposal’ system]

Until now most drugs used to treat dementia have targeted amyloid plaques in the brain which are the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease.

However, the new study, published in the journal Brain, suggests that progression of the disease could be halted by targeting inflammation in the brain, caused by a build-up of immune cells called microglia.

Alzheimer's is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that slowly destroys memory and cognitive skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60-70% of all dementia cases. Together with other forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s affects 47.5 million people worldwide. The disease gives rise to 7.7 million new cases each year.

Alzheimer’s has been recently ranked as the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 5.7 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s, and by 2050 this number is projected to rise to closely 14 million.

Around 800,000 people in the UK are affected by the disease.


For their study, the researchers compared post-mortem brain tissue samples from healthy people with the brains of people of the same age with Alzheimer's disease. They found increased numbers of microglia in the tissue samples of people with Alzheimer's disease compared with the tissue samples of healthy people. Microglia is a type of cell that, among other things, helps regulate immune responses like inflammation. Previous studies have also suggested that these cells could play an important role.

Next, the scientists wanted to study microglia in mice. They found that mice that were given an oral dose of inhibitor to block a receptor - called CSF1R - responsible for the rise in microglia in their brains, had fewer memory and behavioral problems, compared with untreated mice.

The drug also prevented the loss of communication points between nerve cells in the brain which is commonly seen in people with Alzheimer's. [Read more Research shows narcolepsy medication modafinil will actually make you smart]

The scientists also discovered that the inhibitor did not reduce microglia levels below the number needed for healthy immune function, suggesting blocking CSF1R only eliminates excessive numbers of cells.

However, the treatment did not stop another well-known feature of Alzheimer's disease - build-up of toxic amyloid protein clumps in the animals’ brain.

"These findings are as close to evidence as we can get to show that this particular pathway is active in the development of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Diego Gomez-Nicola, lead author and neuroscientist and researcher in biological sciences at Southampton.

Mark Dallas, a neuroscientist at Reading University, said the discovery could explain why drugs designed to treat Alzheimer’s have so far been unsuccessful. [Read more Is ghee healthier than butter?]

“Excitingly, it does however highlight new avenues for researchers to exploit and strengthens the case for targeting other cell types within the brain in the fight against Alzheimer’s,” he added.

For the next step, scientists are planning to build on these findings and work to find a safe drug to test in humans and see if blocking the action of CSF1R has the same effect.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Scientists identify vital early warning of Alzheimer’s that could lead to improved treatment

Scientists identify vital early warning of Alzheimers

Scientists made a breakthrough in identifying molecular mechanism by which Alzheimer’s destroys the ability for brain cells to “talk” to each other. The discovery could enable doctors to predict the onset of the disease years in advance, allowing crucial early treatment.

The lead researcher, Dr. Vladimir Sytnyk, from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, explains that loss of synapses - which connect brain neurons - is one of the first changes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Loss of synapses is one of the early signs of the disease. Synapses connect neurons in our brain. Synapses are needed for all brain functions, especially forming memories and learning.


Dr. Sytnyk says that synapses loss occurs in the very early stages of the degenerative disease, long before the nerve cells die, when only mild cognitive impairment is observed.

Alzheimer’s is a fast progressing neurodegenerative disease that starts out slow, but deteriorates over time. Short-term memory loss is the most common early symptom. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for about 60-70% of all dementia cases.

German psychiatrist and pathologist Dr. Alois Alzheimer first discovered the disease in 1906. Dr. Alzheimer’s saw alterations in the post-mortem brain tissue of a woman who died of an unusual mental illness. Upon performing a post-mortem brain examination he found abnormal clumps what we now know as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles - now called tau tangles.


Considered as the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, these plaques and tangles are believed to cause the death of brain cells, which leads to the disease.

Age is one of the risk factors of Alzheimer’s. People over the age of 70 are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Approximately 80 percent of people over the age of 85 are affected by this dreaded disease.

Scientists identify vital early warning of Alzheimers
Short-term memory loss is the most common early symptom (Image credit: Creative commons)

Alzheimer’s has been recently ranked as the third leading cause of death in the United States. An estimated 5.3 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimer’s.

In UK, around 800,000 people are affected by the disease.

Dr. Sytnyk and his team wanted to further examine brain alterations related to Alzheimer’s. They studied a brain protein known as neural cell adhesion molecule 2 (NCAM2) – part of a group of molecules that connect synapse membranes, maintaining the synaptic connections between neurons.


Researchers used brain tissue of dead people with or without the disease. They found that people with Alzheimer’s had low levels of synaptic NCAM2 in their hippocampus.

In the brain of Alzheimer’s patients, most of the damage occurs in the hippocampus of the brain, the area which is essential in forming memories.

Moreover, through mice studies, they discovered that NCAM2 was battered by beta-amyloid. As discussed earlier, bety-amyloid is the main constituent of the plaques that accumulate in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.

The findings shows that the loss of synapses is related to the loss of NCAM2, caused by toxic effects of beta-amyloid, according to Dr. Sytnyk. He hints that it may open up a new avenue to study treatments that can stop the destruction of NCAM2.


The research team was made up of researchers from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and the UNSW School of Medical Sciences’ Dementia Research Unit.

They publish their work the journal Nature Communications.