Alzheimer's Dementia Research Paper
Alzheimer’s Dementia
Alzheimer 's disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to memory loss and changes in thinking and other brain functions. It usually develops slowly and gradually gets worse as more brain cells wither and die. Ultimately, Alzheimer 's is fatal, and currently, there is no cure. Alzheimer 's disease is the most common type of dementia, a general term used to describe various diseases and conditions that damage brain cells. Alzheimer 's disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases . Given the advancing age of the baby boom generation, by 2050, 14 million older Americans and 81 million adults worldwide are expected to have the …show more content…
Using various psychometric tests to assess the behavioral and cognitive declines associated with AD results in a clinically probable rather than a definitive or confirmed diagnosis. Dementia is associated with signs and symptoms that vary between individuals, and over time, but generally include: Cognitive impairment, affecting memory, speech, language and orientation to time and place. Behavioral and neuropsychiatric effects: mood disorder, psychoses, agitation, wandering or incessant pacing. Impaired self-care: loss of ability to perform household tasks, bathing, dressing, …show more content…
Weaker evidence was found for lifestyle factors and medications to protect against Alzheimer’s, though moderate wine consumption, high level of physical activity, and educational attainment have been shown to reduce the relative risk of the disease. Dietary factors such as the Mediterranean diet or intake of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cereals, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acid have also been shown to reduce the incidence of dementia in population and observational studies.
The social, economic and personal costs of dementia are increasing as the population ages. Our understanding of the causes and progression of this group of diseases is poor, adversely affecting the development of treatments to prevent, reverse or cure dementia. Therapies for dementia are limited to modifying the behavioral and psychological symptoms. Drugs in development that might treat the disease itself have had limited success in trials. An understanding of these limitations allows nurses to support patients and family with
Alzheimer 's disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to memory loss and changes in thinking and other brain functions. It usually develops slowly and gradually gets worse as more brain cells wither and die. Ultimately, Alzheimer 's is fatal, and currently, there is no cure. Alzheimer 's disease is the most common type of dementia, a general term used to describe various diseases and conditions that damage brain cells. Alzheimer 's disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases . Given the advancing age of the baby boom generation, by 2050, 14 million older Americans and 81 million adults worldwide are expected to have the …show more content…
Using various psychometric tests to assess the behavioral and cognitive declines associated with AD results in a clinically probable rather than a definitive or confirmed diagnosis. Dementia is associated with signs and symptoms that vary between individuals, and over time, but generally include: Cognitive impairment, affecting memory, speech, language and orientation to time and place. Behavioral and neuropsychiatric effects: mood disorder, psychoses, agitation, wandering or incessant pacing. Impaired self-care: loss of ability to perform household tasks, bathing, dressing, …show more content…
Weaker evidence was found for lifestyle factors and medications to protect against Alzheimer’s, though moderate wine consumption, high level of physical activity, and educational attainment have been shown to reduce the relative risk of the disease. Dietary factors such as the Mediterranean diet or intake of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, cereals, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acid have also been shown to reduce the incidence of dementia in population and observational studies.
The social, economic and personal costs of dementia are increasing as the population ages. Our understanding of the causes and progression of this group of diseases is poor, adversely affecting the development of treatments to prevent, reverse or cure dementia. Therapies for dementia are limited to modifying the behavioral and psychological symptoms. Drugs in development that might treat the disease itself have had limited success in trials. An understanding of these limitations allows nurses to support patients and family with