In 1906 , Dr. Alois Alzheimer ( 1864-1915 ) , German neurologist and psychiatrist described the first case of dementia during a lecture at the conference of German Psychiatrists in Tübingen , a traditional university town in central Baden - Württemberg , Germany. He described one of his patients , whose symptoms included memory loss , language problems and unpredictable behavior.
After his death , Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue , abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers. Since then, the disease is one of the most common dementia in the aging population , which is named AD .
Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease which displays a progressive dementia and the fourth most common cause of death . There are distinct pathological features of the disease , especially in the form of plaques and tangles . The plates are groups of proteins and fragments that accumulate between the abnormal nerve cells. Tangles contain dead neurons, which consist of another protein . These plaques and tangles may be due to cell death and loss of brain tissue in Alzheimer's disease .
Our brain has three main parts : the cerebrum, cerebellum and brainstem . The brain is the important content of our skull. Its main function is in the areas of recall , problem solving , thinking , feeling and control our movement. Cerebellum at the back of the head, in the brain and controls our coordination and balance. Brain stem is below in front of the cerebellum. It connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls automatic functions such as breathing , digestion , heart rate and blood pressure .
The brain is supplied with blood vessels network of arteries, veins and capillaries formed . The arteries carry blood to nourish our brain with every heartbeat .
The unique outer layer of the brain called the cortex , which is quite clearly assigned according to specific functions. Among the most important things we can observe our sight, hearing and smell, thinking , problem solving , memory and the recovery and control of certain movements.
Our brains are divided into two hemispheres , the left half of the body controls the right and the right side controls the left side . The field of speech and language is on the left side of most people . The brain contains over 100 billion neurons , or nerve cells, which branches and generates connections to more than 100 billion connection points. Brain signals move through the neural network involving our memories, thoughts and feelings. Nerve cells are connected to each other at the synapse. An explosion of chemicals called neurotransmitters are released at synapses when activated by the proper electrical charge and if the "message" is carried to other cells .
Alzheimer's disease is responsible for the destruction of neurons and disruption of neurotransmitter activity . We also know that Alzheimer's disease causes nerve cell death and tissue loss in the brain.
Over time , the brain is significantly reduced, which affects nearly all its functions. The withdrawal is particularly severe in the hippocampus, an area of the cortex plays an important role in the formation of new memories.
The first symptoms are in the field of learning and memory, thinking and planning , which can interfere with work or social life. At this stage , people can get confused and have difficulty expressing themselves, the organization and management of money.
As Alzheimer's disease progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior and have trouble recognizing friends and family. People with Alzheimer's can live an average of eight years. In some cases, may be more dependent on other health conditions , and other factors such as genetics .
What are the causes of Alzheimer's disease ?
It is assumed that the cause is a complex sequence of events including genetic, environmental and lifestyle. We do not understand the exact cause or the contribution of these factors varies from one case to another.
What diagnostic tools are available?
To date, there is no effective treatment to cure , to stop or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease . At the same time , there are many diagnostic tools to identify the disease , such as non-invasive imaging techniques to assess aspects of the neuro - anatomy, chemistry , physiology and pathology of the disease and its stage scalable.
One of the most popular tests is the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) , mainly because it allows the visualization of brain structures in three dimensions. Computed tomography (CT ) is another tool used to display the diagnosis and assessment of dementia , especially in the case in the early stages. Positron emission tomography (PET ) shows brain activity in real time, related functions such as reading , listening , thinking and saying words . Areas of high activity are marked with red color and decreases as the level of activity has decreased. PET is also used to detect alterations in regional cerebral metabolism. This metabolic activity is translated as "red -hot- spots " in the PET images , allowing doctors to confirm the status area of the suspected tumor and assess whether they are widespread. Recently, new devices that combine several terms are being developed such as MRI / PET . This is a hybrid imaging technology that uses morphological capabilities soft tissue imaging fMRI PET is effective in detecting tumors.
What are the parts of the brain are affected?
Alzheimer eventually affects most parts of the brain. However, each person is affected differently as the disease progresses . The main regions of the brain affected by Alzheimer's disease are the frontal temporal and parietal lobes .
The frontal lobe is in the front of the brain and controls a number of functions such as intelligence, decision making, problem solving and other mental and social functions .
Damage to this area leads to a decrease in quality of life and creates serious problems for patients to take care of themselves.
The temporal lobe is located at the temples and ears and are responsible for the time and short-term memory . Episodic memory helps remind us of the facts like where we parked the car or when the house keys . Remember these events require the storage and retrieval process located in our temporal lobe. Learning ability is in these regions , as well as damage to these areas can lead to memory loss .
This loss makes it impossible to record new information and recall it later, if necessary.
Speech building is behind the temporal lobe parietal lobe . This area is also responsible for the visual system and allows a visual analysis and stimuli. Damage to this area can cause visual impairment and abnormal speech .
Alzheimer first affects the hippocampus, which is located in the medial temporal lobe of the brain. Is the region of the brain that form new memories . It then moves to other areas related functions such as reasoning or emotions . The cerebellum and brainstem are the last areas of the brain that is affected. It is when we lose control of basic functions such as breathing , heart rate and blood pressure . This is the final stage of Alzheimer tracks death.
What medications are available to treat Alzheimer's disease ?
There are four drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Donepezil , rivastigmine and galantamine are used to treat Alzheimer's disease and mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease with moderate to severe treated with memantine and donepezil good ' d. These drugs are regulate neurotransmitters. They can help improve memory , talk and help with behavioral problems .
The problem with these drugs is that their effectiveness is limited to a certain group of patients and for a limited period .
What do we know about Alzheimer's disease statistics ' s ?
More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease.
The number of cases of Alzheimer's disease doubles every five years after age 65, the risk is about 50 percent after 85 years . About 10 percent of all cases of Alzheimer's disease are the age of about 30 years.
More women than men develop Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.
Care payments is estimated at $ 200 billion in the United States in 2012. It is estimated that the total cost of Alzheimer's disease is $ 604 billion worldwide .
High levels of glucose can double our lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's disease .
Many risk factors for stroke and sharing of Alzheimer's disease and the likelihood of dementia doubles after a stroke.
What are the risk factors?
There are uncontrollable risk factors , such as genetics and aging and the risk factors that we can control , like our lifestyle.
The known risk factors for established Alzheimer's disease are genetics and aging , both uncontrollable. Alzheimer close relatives in most cases increase our probability of risk for Alzheimer's disease . However, even in cases where still can not get the disease . So we do not have a solution , but it is assumed that the adoption of healthy lifestyles brain could delay or even prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease in some cases.
What can we do to reduce the risks?
The healthy lifestyle of the brain not only stay in shape from the neck , but also to do some daily exercises. New recent evidence suggests that there are some steps we can take to help keep your brain healthy as we age. Some of these measures can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease or other dementias .
Maintaining good blood circulation - Exercise is essential for maintaining good blood flow to the brain . It is also essential for the generation of new brain cells. It can also significantly reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes. According to the Alzheimer's Foundation for Research and Prevention , this step can reduce the risk by 50 percent.
Low Cholesterol Diet - low fat, low-cholesterol diet with vegetables and black fruits, which contain antioxidants , may help protect brain cells . We know that high cholesterol may contribute to stroke and brain cell damage .
Stress reduction - Social activity not only makes physical and mental activity more enjoyable , you can reduce stress levels , which helps maintain healthy relationships between brain cells . Studies show that the more connected we are , the more memory and cognition.
Get enough sleep - lack of sleep at night can slow down our thinking and affect our mood. We may be at increased risk of developing symptoms of Alzheimer's disease . Sleep apnea is recognized as a cause of decreased alertness during the day, but recent studies suggest that it may also increase the risk of dementia.
Stop smoking - Smoking increases the risk factor and may reduce the age of onset of Alzheimer's disease for seven years. Smoking has an extremely detrimental effect on the heart , lungs , vascular system, including the blood vessels in the brain. This is a significant improvement in blood flow when leaving smoking habits.
Stop drinking alcohol - brain changes of alcohol abuse can be reversed in their early stages . Drinking above the recommended levels of alcohol significantly increases the risk of developing dementia such as Alzheimer's disease, other dementias and alcohol-related vascular .
The cells of the brain stimulation "use it or lose it " - mentally stimulating activities like crossword puzzles , reading, learning and interactive computer games can create new nerve cells and at the same time strengthen the connections between neurons and them . It is believed that the mentally active brain can better cope with the disease and can delay the symptoms of dementia. On the other hand , people who are still learning new things are less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The best way to reduce the risk of being involved in activities that require learning new skills interaction and communication .
Is there a mind-body connection ?
Recognize the link between mind and strong body . Recent studies linking spirituality with better brain health. Meditation , prayer and religious practice can immunize against the harmful effects of stress. Our immune system is designed to protect us against many external threats , but can not get the emotion and stress are involved.
If we allow " bad energy " to enter our brain, we are inundated with bad emotions can affect our physical body. This is the negative power of belief.
The relationship of the mind - the mind and body is evident. We must realize that the power of faith can also work against us and can be a destructive force.Therefore , we must avoid the negativism and positivism research . Above all , we must believe in ourselves.
Will is one of the important human factors. We know that there is power in our will, as in the saying : " Where there is a will there is a way. "
This will help us to overcome many difficulties and obstacles in our lives. It is one of the key elements necessary for success .
A healthy mind requires a healthy body because America has the : sanain encourages a healthy body, and Hebrew : " Bria beguf Nefesh bari " .
We know that the mind and body are connected. Our health depends largely on how to cope emotionally and physically to various situations and conditions. Our immune system is affected when suffering from continuous stress. General diseases can be largely related to stress. Stress is not always negative , however. Stress is a predictable human reaction , normal, and sometimes desirable. Stress is active in various circumstances, such as the sense of danger or emergency. In such cases , stress protects us from danger alert and stay focused.
When the stress is continuous and relentless, this is the point where it begins to be harmful. It can have a negative effect on the terms to both physical and psychological . There is a relationship between stress and life expectancy . Most researchers believe that stress is a major factor in reducing life expectancy .
The author however, that a certain amount of stress in response to certain activities may have the opposite effect . Both ends of the spectrum, ie , no stress at all, the vast stress, the negative factors that affect how the quality of life. Some stress in a multi -task environment, however, can have a positive effect on our life expectancy.
Being active in multidisciplinary fields, not only gives us positive emotions and satisfaction, but could also extend our lifespan .
This hypothesis is supported in part by the fact that the various activities mean activate different brain areas .
Research has shown that negative emotions such as anger and sadness have a significant impact on our nervous and immune systems and are probably the cause of certain diseases. On the other hand , positive emotions like happiness and harmony are elements that have a positive influence on our health.
Neurobiology , the functions of materials mind might be a representation of some mechanical properties of the brain. The brain essentially closes the sector that generates a conscious thought for the deep reactive dreaming or waking sleep.
Relationship with the brain mind is like the hardware with the software. This analogy in mind that the software is debated by scientists, who say rightly that the human mind has powers beyond any artificial software.
Studies and future proposed methodologies
The new amounts are necessary data (NDB ) of Alzheimer's patients . NDB should also contain independent genetic cases over 50 years , with their detailed history of activity or inactivity during the last decade before being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In addition , you must create a database MRI correlation / PET .
We need to focus on the detection of the specific location where you can start the Alzheimer's disease. This is probably a specific vulnerable area of the brain where the damage spreads to other areas of the brain .
We know that the first Alzheimer's affects the hippocampus, which is the area where new memories are formed. We also know that the memory circuit or cells that is essential to generate and store new memories is in the entorhinal cortex. The entorhinal cortex is a brain region located in the medial temporal lobe. It works as a hub of a network for memory and navigation.
Entorhinal cortex is one of the first areas to be affected by Alzheimer's disease. It would be interesting to follow the assumption that people with little or no physical activity, especially after 50 years , statistically tend to be more vulnerable to Alzheimer's disease than those who are physically and mentally active . Therefore, studies of this region of the brain can lead to a better understanding of the brain to improve memory .
Future genetic research may lead to a better understanding of disease mechanisms , which should lead to appropriate preventive treatment.
A promising area of research is the use of stem cells for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. There are many ways to approach this option. Among the different possibilities that we can offer to push patients to heal rather than replacing parts neurons or the use of stem cells as drug delivery agents .
Adult stem cells have a positive effect on those who already have Alzheimer's disease. In the future , they might even prevent the disease.
concluded
I think that mentally stimulating activities with the improvement of our mind-body relationship , would not only improve our way of life , but also significantly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
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