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Submitted by babigurl6159 on February 22, 2007
Category: Psychology
Words: 822 | Pages: 4
Views: 192
Popularity Rank: 54,859
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Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative disorder that attacks the brain and leads to dementia and is one of the most common dementing disorders of old age. Alzheimer’s affected nearly 4 million individuals in the U.S. alone. Dementia is a group of symptoms characterized by an insidious decline in intellectual functioning of sufficient severity to interfere with normal daily activities and social relationships. Cognitive ability is the most serious aspect of the loss in intellectual functioning. Dementia of Alzheimer’s disease is distinguished from age-associated memory impairment and benign forgetfulness in that it is inevitably marked by progressive, irreversible declines in memory, performance of routine tasks, time and space orientation, language and communication skills, abstract thinking, and the abilities to learn, carry out mathematical calculations, and construct an object with blocks. Alzheimer’s disease is also characterized by personality changes and impaired judgment.
Because the symptoms of dementia appear later in life, its signs and symptoms have been mistaken for indicators of old age. In recent years, scientists have learned more about the aging process and it has become clear that the aging process does not, by itself, lead to dementia or neurodegenerative disease. Alzheimer’s and other dementing disorders of old age are caused by specific pathological conditions. In the absence of disease, the human rain can and does continue to function unimpaired.
Aging does not cause dementia or Alzheimer’s but, it is most strongly associated as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. Another important risk factor is family history or genetic predisposition. The history of AD in a primary family member (parent or sibling) increases the odds of developing AD. A history of severe head injury that leads to brief loss of consciousness doubles the risk of developing AD. These three risk factors meet the accepted...
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