Paper Summary:

This paper takes an in-depth look at Alzheimer's disease, a degenerative brain disorder that was first identified in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer. This disease represents the single most prevalent form of brain disorders and is also the leading cause of dementia, affecting approximately 4.5 million people in the Untied States. The paper provides a brief overview of the disease, the symptoms, the diagnostic procedures and the treatment methods in order for us to gain a better understanding of this degenerative brain disorder.

Outline:
Introduction
Alzheimer's Disease
Early and Late onset Alzheimer's Disease
Symptoms of the Disease
Memory Loss and Language Disorder
Depression
Dyspraxia and Agnosia
Diagnosis
Tests for Cognitive Impairment
Positron Emission Topography
Major Causes of Alzheimer's Disease
Amyloid Plaques
NeuroFibrillary Tangles
Metal ions
Treatment Methods
Restoring Cholinergic Transmission
Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Considerable reduction in cholinergic transmission is one of the primary causes for the loss of memory and other associated symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other kinds of dementia. Hence pharmacological treatment for AD mainly revolves around rectifying this circulatory deficit within the brain. Compounds designed to enhance cholinergic transmission constitute an important part of the treatment plan. Acetylcholine the neurotransmitter of the brain is considerably broken down in-patients suffering from AD and other dementias. The underlying mechanism of the neurotransmitter can be simplified as follows. An electrical impulse generated passes along the nerve and when it reaches the end it triggers the release of chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters, which in turn diffuse along the synaptic cleft and react with the specific receptor sites on the organ. Activation at the receptor junction initiates a series of chemical reactions resulting in a specific biological response. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• National Institute on Aging, "Alzheimer's Disease: General information", Accessed on April 25th 2006, Available at, http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/AlzheimersInformation/GeneralInfo/
• Jess Dancer, Ed.D., & Phyllis Watkins, 'Remember Me? A Guide to Alzheimer's Disease and Hearing Loss', Accessed on Aprils 25th 2006, Available at, http://www.audiologyonline.com/articles/article_detail.asp?article_id=1503
• Elizabeth Kensinger, "Early and Late Onset as Subdivisions of Alzheimer's Disease", Spring 1996, The Harvard Brain, pg 26-29
• Paolo Zatta, "Metal Ions and Neurodegenerative Diseases", Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Volume 8, Number 2, November 2005.
• NIMH, " The Depression in Alzheimer's Disease Study", Accessed on Apr 25th 2006, Available at, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00009191

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