NURS 6501N- Advanced Pathophysiology

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Livingston Raymond NURS 6501N- Advanced Pathophysiology August 5, 2018 ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE ► Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, permanent brain illness that gradually destroys a person’s memory and intellectual capabilities. Eventually the individual’s capacity to perform any simple duty. In many cases, the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are first seen in their mid-60s, and early-70s (Anand, 2011). ► Currently, it is estimated that more than 5 million Americans (diagnosed and undiagnosed) are living with some form of Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s disease is the 3th leading cause of death in elderlies in the United States of America, right after heart diseases and cancer (Anand, 2011). ► Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia in older adults. Dementia is the loss of rational reasoning, thinking ability, memorizing, and behavioral capabilities (Ballard, & Gauthier, 2013). PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE Historical concept ► Alzheimer’s is considered the disease of the brain. ► The disease was named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who, in the beginning of the 20th century, discovered changes in the brain tissues of a patient who died of mental illness. Autopsy reveals presence of plaques and tangled bundles of fibers in the brain. The main characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease are still the plaques and tangles seen in the brain of the Alzheimer’s patient (Ballard, & Gauthier, 2013). ► Initially, the damage in the brain starts in the hippocampus, part of the brain involved in memories accumulation. The inability of the individual to remember important life events is usually first sign of mental deficiency associated to Alzheimer’s disease (Bertram, 2015). Pathophysiology (Cont.) ► One significant characteristic of the illness is the loss of contacts among nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain. Neurons are the media that allow communications among different parts of the brain, and from the brain to different tissues and organs of the human body (Johnson, & Atwal, 2014). ► Although, not a natural part of the aging process, Alzheimer’s disease remains a illness of older people. Because, as people aged, the brain, Just like the rest of our bodies, changes. Many people ultimately begin noticing signs of sporadic slow down in thinking and trouble recollecting certain aspect of their lives. However, serious loss of memory, accompanied with confusion and other major changes may be signs that brain cells are beginning to fail (Johnson, & Atwal, 2014). ► Nevertheless, aging remains the most well known risk factor related to Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, most people with Alzheimer's are diagnosed after the age of 65. However, Alzheimer's is not only a disease of the elderly as proven by the fact that about two hundred and fifty thousand Americans under the age of 65 have been diagnosed with early onset of Alzheimer’s disease (Johnson, & Atwal, 2014). SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE ► Alzheimer is a progressive disease in which the symptoms gradually worsen with time. The most common early sign of the disease is the difficulty to remember newly learned information, because the changes in the brain of the affected individual begins in the part of the brain where learning takes place (Karch, 2015). ► Then, as the disease progresses, more severe symptoms, I increasingly developed, these symptoms include mood swing and changes in behavior, confusion about current and past events, time and place; baseless doubts regarding family, friends and professional caregivers. In addition to all these problems, some individual would experience difficulty walking, swallowing, and verbal expression (Karch, 2015). ..........................................Continued...................