Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a kind of dementia or memory loss that affects some people. This disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer who first noticed symptoms of an unusual condition back in 1906. He studied those symptoms and examined brain changes and discovered the new disease then. Obviously, it affects patients’ brains and interferes with their ability to think, remember, speak or behave normally in their daily lives. Some can even find it difficult to recognize their family members. Alzheimer’s disease is usually related to elderly people and aging; however, research shows other age groups can suffer from it. The brain changes are progressive and the case gets worse over years developing from mild to severe.

Causes of Alzheimer’s disease

The main cause of the disease is the amyloid plaques found in the patients’ brain. Amyloid plaques are misfolded proteins that form or accumulate between and around cells in the brain. Another cause is that nerve cells lose connection with one another due to the plaque buildup; that is called neuronal connections loss. These factors lead to decrease the brain’s ability to transmit messages to body organs. A new research carried out at Young University added a new factor which is the diet and lifestyle of the patient.

Stages and Symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

The disease starts with the mild stage when patients have memory problems and difficulties with performing certain daily tasks. They might get lost and get angry easily.

The second stage is the moderate one characterized by confusion, inability to recognize family members, hallucinations, greater memory loss and inability to learn something new or perform simple tasks like wearing their clothes on their own. Damage to certain parts of the brain is the reason for the symptoms.

At the severe stage, the patients are completely dependent on others in their daily tasks and they are unable to socialize or communicate. They are bedbound. Here, brain tissue shrinkage takes place.

Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible which means that brain cells cannot be treated or reversed after they die. Medications available do not actually treat AD but help reduce the symptoms and slow cognitive decline.

The Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) has recently published a study talking about a new drug (a new GSM). Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Massachusetts General Hospital conducted the study. They explain that in the new drug the enzyme responsible for plaque production is adjusted rather than inhibited. In other words, the new drug helps prevent the formation of amyloid plaques by modulating the enzyme and changing its activity not by preventing its contribution in plaque formation. Basically, this is what makes the new drug different from previous ones. This finding gives hope for AD patients and their families that one of the main factors can be treated.

This drug proved to be safe on animals used in the study, and it is also expected to be safe on humans as well. It showed no side-effects on them. GSM reduced the formation of plaque in the animals’ brains and it also reduced inflammatory effects which result from plaque buildup. It was tested on mice before and after plaques started to form in their brains, and in both cases the drug proved its effectiveness. It decreased formation and inflammation as well. Previous drugs proved to be unsafe in humans. Scientists are optimistic that the same results will appear when tested on people, but they still need further trials and tests. They have hope that this potential therapy will treat AD and prevent it too.

 
Keywords: Alzheimer’s Disease, AD, causes, stages, symptoms, treatment