People with Alzheimers disease have difficulty learning new information.

The disease first attacks areas of the brain that deal with learning. As the disease advances, symptoms continue to worse. These can include disorientation, mood swings, deep confusion regarding events, time, and places, memory loss, difficulty speaking, swallowing, or walking, and confusion regarding family and close friends.

In 1901, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer came upon the first case of what would later be called Alzheimers disease in a fifty year-old woman called Auguste D. It was then later described as a distinctive disease by Emil Kraepelin in 1910 and began to be diagnosed throughout the 20th century.

An all-inclusive guide to the terrible illness

The cause of Alzheimers is still relatively unknown, except for 1%-5% of cases, which have been linked to hereditary traits. However, scientists believe that the cause of Alzheimers could be linked with plaques and tangles. Plaques are build-ups of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid deposits in spaces between nerve cells. Tangles are twisted fibers of a protein called Tau that build up inside cells. Scientists are working to expand the hypothesis that plaques and tangles can interfere and cause a block in

Mayo Clinic Staff. "Alzheimer's Stages: How the Disease Progresses." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 09 Feb. 2014. "Alzheimer's Disease Fact Sheet." National Institute on Aging. National Institutes of Health, Sept. 2012. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. Schnabel, Jim. "Alzheimer's Disease: Return of the Prion Hypothesis." News. The Dana Foundation, 17 Feb. 2012. Web. 09 Feb. 2014.

communication between nerve cells, causing them to die. Another theory is that the disease

is caused by the reduced synthesis of neurotransmitter aceytylcholine. This hypothesis has not been widely accepted, however, because medicines treating aceytylcholine deficiencies have not been very effective.

Jenna Lee Pd. 7 2/10/14

Early-onset Alzheimers disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. This means that one copy of the affected gene will cause the disorder. Most patients with earlyonset Alzheimers inherit the gene from only one affected parent. The inheritance pattern of late-onset Alzheimers disease is unclear. However, people who inherit an affected allele have a higher risk of developing the disease. Not all people with Alzheimers have the affected allele, and not all people with the allele will develop the disease, but connections have been made between the inheritance of the allele and the development of the disease.

Since no cure to the disease exists. Alzheimers is currently only treatable on a symptombasis. Drugs are often prescribed to regulate neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals that transmit messages between neurons. However, these drugs do not prevent the advancement of the disease and are only effective for some people. The National Institute of Health is the lead federal establishment for Alzheimers research. These scientists are testing new drugs in attempts to treat symptoms, slow the disease, or even prevent Alzheimers all together. No single test exists to prove that a person has Alzheimers. Alzheimers is only diagnosable through a complete assessment studying many different traits.

In the 1970s and 19080s, scientists noticed similarities between Alzheimers and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies like scrapie and CJd (Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). Both seemed to be connected to the protein deposits called amyloids. In both Alzheimers and TSE, sponge-like holes have been found in patients. Recent experiments have shown that Alzheimers could be caused by an infection-like spread of protein aggregates in the brain, and could be a weakly-transmissible prion disease, just like TSEs. Scientists have found evidence that aggregates of Tau and amyloids being able to spread in a prion-like manner from cell to cell. They have done experiments, implanting diseased brain cells into mice, and found that the Alzheimers disease may possibly be able to be transmitted.

The greatest risk factor for Alzheimers is old age. Most patients with the disease are over the age of 65. The probability of developing Alzheimers doubles about every five years after the age of 65. After the age of 85, the risk of developing the disease reaches almost fifty percent. Another strong risk factor is family history. Patients with an immediate family member who has Alzheimers are much more likely to develop the disease. The risk increases as a person has more family members with the illness.

Five stages of Alzheimers exist. 1. Preclinical Alzheimers Disease: symptoms do not emerge during this stage, however early deposits of amyloid beta may be developing. 2. Mild Cognitive Impairment: in this stage, people have mild changes to their memory and thinking abilities. 3. Mild Dementia: Alzheimers is typically diagnosed in this stage. Patients begin to experience memory loss of recent events, confusion, and changes in personality. 4. Moderate Dementia: During this stage, patients become increasingly confused and need help with daily activities. 5. Severe Dementia: patients with severe dementia lose the ability to communicate coherently, require daily assistance with personal care, and experience a decline in physical activities.

Tau Protein

Beta-amyloid Protein

There is currently no existing cure for Alzheimers disease, but drugs are being produced to help with mental and behavioral symptoms. Researchers are studying medications to deal with memory loss, behavior, and sleep changes that come with Alzheimers