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Exactly What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s has no cure at this time. Named for German physician, Alois Alzheimer, the disease was described first by him in 1906. This brain disorder is becoming more common rapidly.

Since Alzheimer’s destroys brain cells, it causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior that are severe enough to affect work, lifelong hobbies or social life. People with this disease not only lose their memory, but this is a progressive and fatal disease.

Now surpassing diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease has become the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

Even more chilling facts about Alzheimer’s:

• As many as 5.2 million people in the United States are already living with Alzheimer’s.
• 10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s in their lifetime.
• About every 71 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer’s.
• Alzheimer’s and other dementias costs to Medicare, Medicaid and businesses, both directly and indirectly, amount to more than $148 billion each year.

Perhaps the most surprising fact is that people are getting diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at much earlier ages now. Over 500,000 people under 65 years of age were diagnosed just last year, and even more startling, some of those were in their 20’s and 30’s.

What Are The Causes Of Alzheimer’s Disease

Naturally our brains age as we get older, just as the rest of our body does. However, the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s shows far greater changes than usual.

To begin with, consider that the brain has 100 billion nerve cells (neurons). Every nerve cell communicates with a lot of other nerve cells to form networks. These networks each have special jobs to do. Some networks are used for learning and remembering. Other networks are used for thinking. Some networks control our muscle movement. Other networks help us hear, see and smell.

The nerve cell networks can each be compared to a tiny factory in the sense they need to take in supplies and generate energy. They need to do construction and get rid of waste. They also need to process and store information.

For some reason, in people with Alzheimer’s the nerve networks cell factories quit working correctly. After one part of the system breaks down. soon it ripples out to other parts of the system and they have problems as well. The time comes when the cells can no longer do their job and die.

The process isn’t totally understood yet by scientists, but they have two prime suspects for the cause of these problems.

1. Plaques build up between nerve cells. Deposits of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid (BAY-tuh AM-uh-loyd) are found in plaques.
2. Tangles are twisted fibers of another protein called tau (rhymes with “wow”). They form inside dying cells.

Although most people develop some plaques and tangles as they age, those with Alzheimer’s tend to develop far more. Beginning in areas important in learning and memory and then spreading to other regions, the tangles and plaques tend to form in a predictable pattern.Among the nerve cells, the plaques and tangles are believed to somehow block communication. They also disrupt activities that cells need to survive.

Indicator’s Of Alzheimer’s Disease

A list of warning signs has been developed by The Alzheimer’s Association. They include the following:

1. Memory loss.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks.
3. Language problems.
4. Place and time disorientation.
5. Judgment become poor or decreased.
6. Having problems with abstract thinking.
7. Putting things in the wrong place.
8. Mood and behavior changes.
9. Changes in personality.
10. There’s a loss of initiative.

For a more complete explanation of the warning signs, visit The Alzheimer’s Association’s website.

Understanding Alzheimer’s, how it works and what to signs to look for, and keeping up with the latest health news, is an important part of caring for your health. It’s never too early to learn about Alzheimer’s disease, especially when you consider younger people are now getting it!

Alzheimer's Study

Alzheimer’s disease is the subject of many studies. What causes it? How can we treat it? Better yet, how can we prevent it? Many scientists, medical personnel and others are trying to find the answers to those questions.

Learning About The Disease

In progress since 1986, one of the most notable long-term studies on Alzheimer’s disease is funded by the National Institute on Aging. The subjects of the study are the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Mankato, MN, giving rise to the project’s nickname of ‘The Nun Study”. This research is a collaborative effort between the nuns there and the University of Kentucky, under the directorship of Dr. David Snowdon. Also participating are scientists from many other universities.

Determining the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and figuring out ways to prevent it is the focus of this study. Each of the 678 participants agreed to participate in annual assessments of their cognitive and physical function to help achieve this. They also must have medical exams and blood drawn for genetic and nutritional studies. Upon their death, all the participants in the Nun Study have also agreed to donate their brains for neuropathological studies.

Because the nuns in this group are non-smokers, drink little if any alcohol, have the same marital status and reproductive history, have lived in similar housing, held similar jobs, and had similar access to preventive and medical care, it makes them easier to study. Most studies have the problem of subjects from various backgrounds and diverse environments, medical history and lifestyle. It’s easier to find the differences when there are fewer variables in the subjects, as there is with this group of nuns.

Study Results

It’s already been discovered through this research that traits in early, mid, and late life have strong relationships with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, as well as the mental and cognitive disabilities of old age. Bottom line, what does the research indicate YOU can do to prevent getting Alzheimer’s symptoms?

Mental Stimulation To Prevent Alzheimer’s Symptoms

A leading researcher on Alzheimer’s, Dr. Yaakov Stern, says, “Individuals who lead mentally stimulating lives, through education, occupation and leisure activities, have reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Studies suggest that they have 35-40% less risk of manifesting the disease. The pathology will still occur, but they are able to cope with it better. Some won’t ever be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s because they don’t present any symptoms.”

Ways to Build Your Cognitive Reserve (CR)

Tolerating progressive brain pathology without demonstrating clinical cognitive symptoms is called Cognitive Reserve. Another way of putting it is to say that Cognitive Reserve is how your brain resists any physical changes caused by Alzheimer’s disease so you don’t have any of the usual symptoms like memory loss.

Building your Cognitive Reserve, your reserve of neurons, synapses and skills, is the best way to prevent Alzheimer’s disease according to researchers. So how can we do that? After all, what exactly is challenging mental activity or a good “brain exercise”?

To work well for building CR, an activity must:

1. Engage your attention.
2. Involve more than one of your senses.
3. Break a routine activity in an unexpected way.

Learning a new language is just one of many examples of a great way to build your CR. Traveling to change your environment is another. Taking challenging classes, a job that makes you use your mind, even increased physical activity can all lead to increased neurogenesis (the creation of new neurons), thereby increasing your Cognitive Reserve.

Building your CR can, in fact, be done with almost any challenging activity. Some activities might make physical demands. Some may have interpersonal demands. Others may have challenging levels of cognitive complexity (thinking and learning). Keep challenging your brain:Build Your Cognitive Reserve with Brain Games.

Look For Challenges To Keep Your Brain Sharp.

The more you use your brain, according to the research, the better it continues to work. Learning and other challenging experiences builds your Cognitive Reserve and increases your chances of never showing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, even if your brain has signs of the disease.

Take up the challenge and prevent Alzheimer’s disease!