1. Old Age Project:
Alzheimerâs Disease
BRITTANY CLARK
PSYCHOLOGY 2078
4/16/2014
2. What is Alzheimerâs Disease?
ï” Most common form of dementia (Alzheimer's Association, 2014)
ï” 50- 80% of dementia cases
ï” Cognitive disorder
ï” Affects mental and physical function
ï” Memory, language, reasoning
ï” Due to a reduced amount of acetylcholine, which helps the brain with
memory
ï” Usually occurs in middle to old age adult
ï” However, it is not a part of normal aging (Alzheimer's Association, 2014)
ï” Worsens over time
3. Effects of
Alzheimerâs
âą Difficulty remembering
newly learned
information
âą Alzheimerâs begins
by changing the
part of the brain
that affects
learning
âą Mood changes
âą Confusion
âą Difficulty doing every
day activities
4. Causes of Alzheimerâs
ï” Age is a primary factor in Alzheimerâs disease (Santrock, 2012).
ï” Nearly half of those older than age 85 have Alzheimer's (Mayo Clinic, 2014);
ï” Genes can cause Alzheimerâs as well.
ï” ApoE4 is an allele that is linked to the complications that cause Alzheimerâs (Santrock,
2012).
ï” However, genes cause Alzheimerâs Disease less than 5% of the time (Mayo Clinic,
2014).
ï” Lifestyle choices may also cause Alzheimerâs.
ï” Factors that increase the chance of heart disease may also increase the chance of
Alzheimerâs Disease (Mayo Clinic, 2014).
ï” Smoking, lack of exercise, high blood pressure
5. How does
Alzheimerâs
happen?
âą Still a mystery
âą Each nerve cell in the
brain communicates with
one another.
âą Alzheimerâs affects this
connection.
âą Changes the tissue of the
brain
âą Nerve cells in the brain die,
the brain shrinks, and the
damage spreads (NIH
Senior Health, 2012).
6. Prevention of Alzheimerâs
ï” To reduce the risk of Alzheimerâs disease:
ï” Get educated about the disease
ï” Stimulate your brain
ï” Read
ï” Play a musical instrument
7. Treatment of Alzheimer
ï” Drugs
ï” Currently do not cure the disease, but slows the progression
ï” Cholinesterase inhibitors
ï” Boost cell communication
ï” Increase levels of acetylcholine
ï” Memantine (Mayo Clinic, 2014
ï” can be paired with cholinesterase inhibitors
ï” Slows the symptoms
8. Treatment of Alzheimerâs Continued
ï” Lifestyle
ï” Exercise
ï” Diet
ï” Omega-3
ï” May prevent mental decline
ï” Vitamin E
ï” May delay the effects of Alzheimerâs
ï” Ginkgo
ï” Substances in this plant extract may benefit Alzheimerâs
9. Alzheimerâs Stats
ï” More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease.
ï” Every 67 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer's.
ï” Alzheimer's disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.
ï” There are approximately 500,000 people dying each year because they
have Alzheimer's.
ï” 1 in 3 seniors dies with Alzheimer's or another dementia.
ï” In 2013, 15.5 million caregivers provided an estimated 17.7 billion hours of
unpaid care valued at more than $220 billion (Alzheimerâs Association,
2014).
10. Lifestyle Policy to Suppress Alzheimerâs
Disease
ï” Physical exercise
ï” Reduces your risk by 50% (Alzheimerâs Research & Prevention Foundation)
ï” Healthy Diet
ï” glial cells may help remove debris and toxins from the brain that can contribute
to Alzheimerâs disease (Smith, Wayne, & Segal, 2014).
ï” Ginger, green tea, fatty fish and blueberries are a few foods to feed glial cells
ï” Mental Stimulation
ï” Challenging your brain reduces your risk
ï” âUse it or lose itâ
11. Lifestyle Policies to Suppress
Alzheimerâs Disease
ï” Sleep
ï” Greater risk of Alzheimerâs if you have sleep deprivation
ï” Adults need at least 8 hours of sleep.
ï” Manage stress
ï” Stress also puts stress on the brain.
ï” Breathe and relax to suppress stress.
ï” Be social
ï” Studies show that the more social the individual is, the better their
(Smith, Wayne, & Segal, 2014).
12. Future of Alzheimerâs Disease
ï” Currently five FDA approved Alzheimerâs drugs
ï” Research includes working on drugs that alter the brain changes during
Alzheimerâs (Alzheimer's Association, 2014).
ï” Researchers are also working on prevention of amyloid plaques that affect
memory.
ï” Vaccination
ï” Inject beta amyloid
ï” Inhibiting drugs
ï” MTC and Al-108
ï” Reduce the tangles in the brain during Alzheimerâs
13. Future of Alzheimerâs Disease
ï” 2013 Alzheimerâs Disease Plan includes
ï” Finding ways to prevent Alzheimerâs by 2025
ï” Informing the public
ï” Enhance care for Alzheimerâs patients
ï” Funding research projects for Alzheimerâs
14. References
ï” Alzheimer's Association (2014). Alzheimer's disease & dementia | Alzheimer's
Association. Retrieved from
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
ï” Alzheimer's Association (2014). Alzheimer's drug treatment horizon | Research Center |
Alzheimer's Association. Retrieved from
http://www.alz.org/research/science/alzheimers_treatment_horizon.asp
ï” Mayo Clinic (2014). Alzheimer's disease Definition - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo
Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/
basics/definition/con-20023871
15. References
ï” National Institute on Aging (2012). About alzheimer's disease: alzheimer's basics | National
Institute on Aging. Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/topics/alzheimers-basics
ï” National Institute on Aging (2013). HHS releases 2013 Alzheimer?s disease plan update |
National Institute on Aging. Retrieved from http://www.nia.nih.gov/newsroom/2013/06/hhs-releases-
2013-alzheimers-disease-plan-update
ï” National Institute on Aging (2012). NIHSeniorHealth: Alzheimer's Disease - What Is
Alzheimer's Disease? Retrieved from
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/alzheimersdisease/whatisalzheimersdisease/01.html
16. References
ï” Santrock, J. W. (2011). Life-span development. New York: McGraw-Hill.
ï” Smith, M., Wayne, M., & Segal, J. (2014). Alzheimerâs & Dementia Prevention: How to
Reduce Your Risk and Protect Your Brain. Retrieved from
http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_prevention_slowing_down_treatment.htm
ï” Thompson, D. (2014). Alzheimer's Research, Future Treatments - Alzheimer's Disease
Center - EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved from
http://www.everydayhealth.com/alzheimers/alzheimers-research-and-future-treatments.
aspx