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University of perpetual Help System DALTA- Molino CampusMolino 3, Bacoor, CaviteS.Y. 2008-2009

INTRODUCTION

“Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, and the thingsyou never want to lose.” -Kevin ArnoldMemories are the things we uphold. Whether it’s bad or good, those memories areengraved in us and can’t be stolen from us. But what if as times goes by, those memoriesare losing? Worst, you’re even losing your language skills, ability to recognize familiar things and you feel a sense of depression. This means, as a person grow old he/sheexperiences deterioration in one’s self.Now, we are currently living in the age of technology. Our advancements in the pastfew decades overshadow everything learned in the last 2000 years. This increase has brought with it a large increase in diseases associated with old age. Alzheimer's disease(AD) is one of the most common and feared diseases afflicting the elderly community. AD,once thought to be a natural part of aging, is a severely debilitating form of mentaldementia. Although some other types of dementia are curable or effectively treatable, thereis currently no cure for the Alzheimer variety. A general overview of Alzheimer's diseaseincluding the clinical description, diagnosis, and progression of symptoms, helps one tofurther understand the treatment and care of patients, the scope of the problem, and currentresearch. Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may be similar in some ways. It is importantto

University of perpetual Help System DALTA- Molino CampusMolino 3, Bacoor, CaviteS.Y. 2008-2009compare dementia vs. Alzheimer's disease to realize the differences between the twoconditions. Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia marked by memory loss inolder people. Dementia is the gradual loss of intellectual function. Alzheimer's statisticsshow that the disease can strike a person as early as 45, while dementia generally takes holdafter age 70. The most confused form of dementia is Multi-Infarct Dementia or MID. Thiscondition also attacks the blood vessels in the brain. Both disorders require testing todetermine the best course of treatment. But the clinical definition of dementia is "adeterioration in intellectual performance that involves, but is not limited to, a loss in at least2 of the following areas: language, judgment, memory, visual or depth perception, or judgment interfering with daily activities" (Institute, 1996, p.4). While, Alzheimer’s disease(AD) is a slowly progressive disease of the brain that is characterized by impairment of memory and eventually by disturbances in reasoning, planning, language, and perception.Many scientists believe that Alzheimer's disease results from an increase in the productionor accumulation of a specific protein (beta-amyloid protein) in the brain that leads to nervecell death. The likelihood of having Alzheimer's disease increases substantially after the ageof 70 and may affect around 50% of persons over the age of 85. Nonetheless, Alzheimer'sdisease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that inevitably happens in later life. For example, many people live to over 100 years of age and never develop Alzheimer'sdisease. A person with AD usually has a gradual decline in mental functions, often

University of perpetual Help System DALTA- Molino CampusMolino 3, Bacoor, CaviteS.Y. 2008-2009 beginning with slight memory loss, followed by losses in the ability to maintainemployment, to plan and execute familiar tasks, and to reason andexercise judgment.Communication ability, mood, and personality may also be affected. Most people who haveAD die within eight years of their diagnosis, although that interval may be as short as oneyear or as long as 20 years. AD is the fourth leading cause of deathin adults after heartdisease,cancer , andstroke.When comparing dementia vs. Alzheimer's disease it is very important to discuss the differences between the two diseases. Although they have manysimilarities, there are a number of differences that must be noted. Alzheimer's disease isdefined as a form of dementia characterized by the gradual loss of several important mentalfunctions. It is perhaps the most common cause of dementia in older Americans, and goes beyond just normal forgetfulness, such as losing your car keys or forgetting where you parked. Signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss that is much more severe andmore serious, such as forgetting the names of your children or perhaps where you've livedfor the last decade or two.Another way to compare dementia vs. Alzheimer's disease is torealize that dementia is a medical term used to describe a number of conditionscharacterized by the gradual loss of intellectual function. Certain symptoms, as defined bythe American Medical Association, of dementia include memory impairment, increasedlanguage difficulties, decreased motor skills, failure to recognized or identify objects, anddisturbance of the ability to plan or think abstractly. Yet another way to determine the

Category:	Research > Health & Medicine
Rating:	(2 Ratings)
Upload Date:	03/07/2009
Copyright:	Attribution Non-commercial
Tags:	research symptoms Ways prevention dementia causes 101 ways risk factors adh research symptoms Ways prevention dementia causes 101 ways risk factors adh (fewer)

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