Name – Shreya Sanjay Patil Class – XI Section – B

Roll no. – 12 Subject – biology Session – 2020-21

Investigatory
project

Topic – Alzheimer’s and dementia

 Acknowledgement

I would like to express my gratitude to my teacher Mrs.

Archana Katoch ma’am as well as our principal Mr. Ganesh
Parameswaran sir who gave me the golden opportunity to do
this wonderful biology investigatory project on the topic
Alzheimer’s and dementia, which helped me in doing a lot of
research and I came to know about so many new things. I
would like to express my greatest appreciation all individuals
who have helped and supported me throughout the project. I
am thankful to my biology teacher for her ongoing support
during the project, from initial advice, and provision of
contacts in the first stages through ongoing advice and
encouragement, which led to the final report of this project.
I wish to thank my parents as well for their undivided support
and interest who inspired me and encouraged me to go my
own way, without whom I would be unable to complete my
project.
At the end, I want to thank my friends who displayed
appreciation to my work and motivated me to continue my
work.

Thank you!
 Certificate

This is to certify that Shreya Patil of class XI B of Bal Bharati

Public School
has successfully completed the biology investigatory project
on the topic Alzheimer’s and dementia
under the guidance of Mrs. Archana Katoch ma’am
during the session 2020-2021
in partial fulfilment of biology practical examination
conducted by CBSE.

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Internal examiner External examiner

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School stamp Principal’s signature
 Index

Sr. no. Content Page no.

1 Cover page 1
2 Acknowledgement 2
3 Certificate 3
4 Index 4
5 Introduction 5
6 Main content 6
7 Conclusion 9
8 bibliography 10
 Introduction

Alzheimer's is the most common cause of dementia, a

general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities
serious enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's
disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.
Alzheimer's is not a normal part of aging. The greatest known
risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with
Alzheimer's are 65 and older. But Alzheimer's is not just a
disease of old age. Approximately 200,000 Americans under
the age of 65 have younger-onset Alzheimer’s disease (also
known as early-onset Alzheimer’s).
Alzheimer's worsens over time. Alzheimer's is a progressive
disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a
number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but
with late-stage Alzheimer's, individuals lose the ability to
carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.
Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United
States. On average, a person with Alzheimer's lives four to
eight years after diagnosis, but can live as long as 20 years,
depending on other factors.
 Main content
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s
People with Alzheimer's may:
 Repeat statements and questions over and over
 Forget conversations, appointments or events, and not remember them
later
 Routinely misplace possessions, often putting them in illogical locations
 Get lost in familiar places
 Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects
 Have trouble finding the right words to identify objects, express
thoughts or take part in conversations.
Everyone has occasional memory lapses, but the memory loss associated with
Alzheimer's disease persists and worsens, affecting the ability to function at
work or at home.

Causes of Alzheimer’s
The exact causes of Alzheimer's disease aren't fully understood. But at a basic
level, brain proteins fail to function normally, which disrupts the work of brain
cells (neurons) and triggers a series of toxic events. Neurons are damaged, lose
connections to each other and eventually die. Researchers trying to
understand the cause of Alzheimer's disease are focused on the role of two
proteins:
Plaques - Beta-amyloid is a fragment of a larger protein. When these fragments
cluster together, they appear to have a toxic effect on neurons and to disrupt
cell-to-cell communication. These clusters form larger deposits called amyloid
plaques, which also include other cellular debris.
Tangles - Tau proteins play a part in a neuron's internal support and transport
system to carry nutrients and other essential materials. In Alzheimer's disease,
tau proteins change shape and organize themselves into structures called
neurofibrillary tangles. The tangles disrupt the transport system and are toxic
to cells.

Treatment of Alzheimer’s Diagnosis - An important part of diagnosing

Alzheimer's disease includes being able to explain your symptoms, as well as
perspective from a close family member or friend about symptoms and their
impact on daily life. Additionally, a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is based on
tests your doctor administers to assess memory and thinking skills.
Physical and neurological exam - Your doctor will perform a physical exam and
likely assess overall neurological health by testing the following:
 Reflexes
 Muscle tone and strength
 Ability to get up from a chair and walk across the room
 Sense of sight and hearing
 Coordination
 Balance
Mental status and neuropsychological testing - Your doctor may give you a
brief mental status test to assess memory and other thinking skills.
Brain imaging - Images of the brain are now used chiefly to pinpoint visible
abnormalities related to conditions other than Alzheimer's disease — such as
strokes, trauma or tumours — that may cause cognitive change.
Treatment
Drugs - Current Alzheimer's medications can help for a time with memory
symptoms and other cognitive changes. Two types of drugs are currently used
to treat cognitive symptoms:
1) Cholinesterase inhibitors - These drugs work by boosting levels of cell-to-
cell communication by preserving a chemical messenger that is depleted
in the brain by Alzheimer's disease. These are usually the first
medications tried, and most people see modest improvements in
symptoms.
2) Memantine (Namenda). This drug works in another brain cell
communication network and slows the progression of symptoms with
moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. It's sometimes used in
combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor. Relatively rare side effects
include dizziness and confusion.
Adapting the living situation to the needs of a person with Alzheimer's disease
is an important part of any treatment plan. For someone with Alzheimer's,
establishing and strengthening routine habits and minimizing memory-
demanding tasks can make life much easier.
 Difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s
Dementia is a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to
interfere with daily life. Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.
Alzheimer’s is a specific disease. Dementia is not.

Dementia overview - Dementia describes a group of symptoms

associated with a decline in memory, reasoning or other thinking skills. Many
different types of dementia exist, and many conditions cause it. Mixed
dementia is a condition in which brain changes of more than one type of
dementia occur simultaneously. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause
of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases.

Alzheimer’s overview - Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease that

is caused by complex brain changes following cell damage. It leads to dementia
symptoms that gradually worsen over time. The most common early symptom
of Alzheimer’s is trouble remembering new information because the disease
typically impacts the part of the brain associated with learning first.

Other types of dementia

Vascular Dementia - If a relative or friend of yours gets this type of dementia,
it's usually because they had a major stroke, or one or more smaller, "silent"
strokes, which can happen without them realizing it. The symptoms depend on
which part of their brain was affected by the stroke.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) - Lewy bodies are microscopic deposits of a
protein that form in some people's brains. They're named after the scientist
who discovered them. If someone you know gets DLB, it's because these
deposits have formed in the part of the brain called the cortex.
Parkinson's Disease Dementia - people with the nervous system disorder
Parkinson's disease get this type of dementia about 50% to 80% of the time.
On average, the symptoms of dementia develop about 10 years after a person
first gets Parkinson's.
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) - If your loved one has an FTD, they have
developed cell damage in areas of the brain that control planning, judgment,
emotions, speech, and movement. Someone with FTD may have: Personality
and behaviour changes, sudden lack of inhibitions in personal and social
situations etc.
 Conclusion

From this project, we conclude that while dementia is a much

more general term, Alzheimer’s is the largest fragment of it.
Memory loss and diseases related to it are much more
serious than what we consider them to be. Alzheimer’s,
causes a ton of problems in day-to-day life and worsens with
time thus making the diseased completely helpless and
dependent. While the causes are not known exactly known
but a basic idea about the misfunctioning of two brain
proteins occurs due to a combination of genetic, lifestyle and
environmental factors. Also, the genetic part of it is very rare
and it is more common due to other factors. The symptoms
are not very specific saw thorough tests are more reliable to
know the exact disease. Similar to the causes, the treatment
is not entirely known. But some drugs and an overall better
environment can bring about developments in the severity of
the Alzheimer’s.
Dementia being a more general term, consists many other
types. Although it is 60-80% cases of Alzheimer’s but these
other diseases are found too. Both these terms are fairly
distinct. Other common types of dementia are vascular
dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson’s disease
dementia, frontotemporal dementia etc.
 Bibliography

For completing my biology investigatory project on the topic

“Alzheimer’s and dementia” I took reference and help from
the following sources –
https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/155252791
1) Wiley online library – Alzheimer’s and dementia
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/
symptoms-causes/syc-20350447
2) Mayo clinic – Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and causes
https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-facts#women-at-risk
3) Healthline – 10 surprising facts about Alzheimer’s
https://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/guide/alzheimers-dementia
4) WebMD – types of dementia explained

5) Alz.org - What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

6) Our better world - A young caregiver’s raw words to her father with
Alzheimer’s

7) www.cleverclinicmed.com – Alzheimer’s disease

8) www.alz.com – facts and figures about dementia