Alzheimer's Disease

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that Alzheimer's disease typically afflicts patients during the later years of their lives and is most commonly associated with a general loss of cognitive function. The paper discusses the prevalence of Alzheimer's and its increasing profile during the 1990s that led scientists to dub it the "disease of the 20th century." The paper illustrates how Alzheimer's can place a terrible burden on a patient's loved ones, who are forced to watch the patient's slow mental decline. The paper also notes that the cost of Alzheimer's to American society is significant. The paper concludes that science will have to commit tremendous intellectual and financial resources to developing a cure for Alzheimer's, as the disease is expected to greatly proliferate over the next several years.

From the Paper:

"A number of things occur in the brain that cause a person to develop Alzheimer's symptoms. Many Alzheimer's patients experience a sharp decrease in the production of acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter, and over-production of the protein B-amyloid, which can cause obstructive neuritic plaques to form (Alzheimer's disease, No date). Alzheimer's patients also may experience brain deterioration related to aging, such as neuron or snynaptic loss, which can impair cognitive and neurological function."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Alzheimer's disease" (No date). Retrieved Nov. 4, 2006 from the Web site for the U.S. Surgeon General at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter5/sec4.html.
• "Alzheimer's disease may be mostly genetic" (2006). Feb. 6. Retrieved Nov. 5, 2006 from the Web site for MSNBC at http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11204410/wid/6448213/.
• "Enriched environment delays onset of Alzheimer's in mice" (2005). March 11. Retrieved Nov. 5, 2006 from the Web site for Medical News Today at http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=21045&nfid=rssfeeds.
• Mullan M; Bennett C; Figueredo C; Hughes D; Mant R; Owen M; Warren A; McInnis M; Marshall A; Lantos P (1995). "Clinical features of early onset, familial Alzheimer's disease linked to chromosome 14." Retrieved Nov. 5, 2006 from the Web site for Medscape Today at http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/7485234.
• Tanzi, Rudolph E. (1999). "A genetic dichotomy model for the inheritance of Alzheimer's disease and common age-related disorders." Retrieved Nov. 4, 2006 from the Web site for the Journal of Clinical Investigation at http://www.jci.org/cgi/content/full/104/9/1175#B2.

More papers on Alzheimer's Disease:

• Article Review # 113435 : "Alzheimer Disease and Exercise"
• Essay # 64343 : "Alzheimers Disease"
• Research Paper # 92033 : "Alzheimer's Disease"
• Research Paper # 113314 : "Alzheimer's Disease"

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