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Julianne Kim

Mrs. Saha

Indep Res GT

21 April 2022

Synthesis Essay

Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death globally (Mohamad). Today, the disease

affects 40 million people worldwide, and by 2050, it will affect 150 million people (Cohen). The

discovery of Alzheimer’s, by scientist Alois Alzheimer, was correlated with the buildup of

strange plaques and tangles in the synapses of Auguste Deter’s brain, and this foundation led to

the amyloid hypothesis. The disease is a continuous neurologic disorder that affects a person’s

thinking, behavioral and social skills from operating autonomously (Cohen). Researchers have

struggled to find a cure, as demonstrated through the numerous failed clinical trials in the past.

Drug treatments coupled with prevention strategies will alleviate the neurological damage

associated with Alzheimer’s disease by targeting amyloid-β plaque accumulation.

The amyloid hypothesis has dominated research on Alzheimer’s disease for more than

twenty-five years. Researchers have proposed that the presence of amyloid-β is known by

experts to be a hallmark of the disease, and this idea has led to the prevailing hypothesis that

excessive plaque accumulation triggers a neurodegenerative process and disrupts communication

between brain cells (Cohut). As amyloid plaque begins to accumulate, microglia “janitor” cells

become hyper-activated. A protein that helps transport nutrients, "tau", progresses towards being

hyper-phosphorylated and twists itself into tau tangles, obstructing the neurons inside (Genova).

Major lifestyle and conditional factors linked to sleep and cardiovascular health may

contribute to the declining brain function consistent with Alzheimer’s. When one's body enters
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deep sleep, neuron cells referred to as glial cells are able to rinse cerebral spinal fluid over the

brain, cleansing any waste that accumulated throughout the day (Genova). Scientists have

predicted that a single night of sleep deprivation leads to an increase in amyloid-β, instigating

poor sleep hygiene as a probable cause of Alzheimer's. Furthermore, autopsy studies on those

who suffered from Alzheimer’s have shown that eighty percent of them endured cardiovascular

diseases comprising of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and smoking (Armstrong). This

data suggests that the buildup of amyloid-β, as well as environmental factors, have proven to be

distinct causes that correspond to the cognitive deficiency observed in Alzheimer’s disease.

Memory loss and confusion rapidly grow worse as the damage occurs in areas of the

brain that controls conscious thought, reasoning, sensory processing, and language. In addition,

people undergoing this stage may experience paranoia, hallucinations, and behave impulsively

(NIH). In the hippocampus, five percent of its neurons die every decade, leading to a twenty

percent total loss by the time one reaches eighty years old. This indicates a vast decrease in the

production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is vital to recollection and learning (Young).

Subsequently, patients encounter difficulties when remembering if they previously performed or

imagined performing actions. A study was conducted where patients decided if they had placed

or imagined placing objects in a bag (Mohamad). The results demonstrated that the likelihood of

falsely remembering actions as having been performed has increased in patients with

Alzheimer’s. False memories could lead to substantial consequences as patients may act upon

their distorted beliefs. The research from this article reveals a profound discovery of

confabulation and its influence on memory monitoring. This data suggests that the accumulation

of amyloid-β leads to the biological and behavioral effects known to Alzheimer’s, ultimately

promoting the loss of neurons and cell function within the brain.
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The continuous failures of Alzheimer’s trials have been demoralizing, but new research

tactics are providing hope. Current treatments revolve around continued efforts to target

amyloid-β, as well as the idea of self-repair neurons. Aducanumab is the first approved therapy

by the FDA for Alzheimer’s. It is an anti-amyloid intravenous infusion therapy that targets the

microscopic clumps of amyloid-β and works by binding onto these clumps and eliminating them

in the brain (Mayo Clinic Staff). Failure of certain drugs like Aducanumab to meet clinical

endpoints could mean that they are targeting the wrong biomarker, however, it could also

indicate that the drugs are being administered too late to have a significant effect, and treatment

must be given before symptoms have developed in a person.

Neurogenesis is the process involving neural stem and progenitor cells, and these cells

manufacture new neurons or displace the old ones. Neurogenesis has been discovered in three

regions: the dentate gyrus, which correlates with learning and memory, the subventricular zone,

which provides neuron communication from the brain to the nose, and the striatum, which assists

in managing movement (Petrova). Progenitor cells from the following three areas migrate to sites

where injury and cell death have occurred, giving rise to new neurons.

Prevention methods can delay or slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and

should be applied to a person before experiencing symptoms. Epigenetic factors linked to

vascular issues like heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and obesity, have all been found to

impact the disease, emphasizing the importance of a healthy diet and fitness routine (Armstrong).

Excessive metal exposure such as aluminum could alter a cell’s ability to sustain fundamental

processes with age, energy production, repair, and regeneration. Increased early life stress has

also been indicated as a risk factor for derangement as stress intensifies amyloid-β pathology.
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Humans gain and lose synapses constantly through neural plasticity. When diagnosed

with Alzheimer’s, cognitive function declines, and synapse loss and neuronal cell death become

prominent. Learning new information allows for greater synapses as neural connections are

created and strengthened. A study examined people with formal education and compared them to

those with none (Shaikh). The results demonstrated that those with a high degree of literacy who

frequently participate in mentally restorative jobs and activities have increased cognitive reserve.

They preserve a great number of neural connections which could reduce the likelihood of

developing dementia. To build an Alzheimer's-resistant brain, one can learn a new language, read

a new book, or even meet new people.

Works Cited

"Alzheimer's Is Not Normal Aging — and We Can Cure It." Ted Talk, uploaded by

Samuel Cohen, June 2015, www.ted.com/talks/Samuel_cohen_alzheimer_s_is_not_

normal_aging_and_we_can_cure_it. Accessed 20 Mar. 2022.

Alzheimer's Treatments: What's on the Horizon? Mayo Clinic Staff, 30 June 2021.

Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/

in-depth/alzheimers-treatments/art-20047780. Accessed 7 Oct. 2021.

Armstrong, Richard A. Risk Factors for Alzheimer's Disease. Feb. 2019. Folia

Neuropathologica, www.termedia.pl/Risk-factors-for-Alzheimer-s-disease,20,36928,1,1.

html. Accessed 26 Oct. 2021.

Cohut, Maria. What Causes Alzheimer's? Not Toxic Amyloid, New Study Suggests. 4

Jan. 2020. Medical News Today, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/

327412#What-comes-first. Accessed 9 Jan. 2022.

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"Could Your Brain Repair Itself?" TedTalk, uploaded by Ralitsa Petrova, Apr.

2015, www.ted.com/talks/ralitsa_petrova_could_your_brain_repair_itself/

transcript. Accessed 29 Nov. 2021.

El Haj, Mohamad, et al. False Memory in Alzheimer's Disease. Pubmed, 19 Feb.

2020. PMC, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7049840/. Accessed 22 Sept.

2021.

"How I'm Preparing to Get Alzheimer's." TEDtalk, uploaded by Alanna Shaikh, June

2012, www.ted.com/talks/alanna_shaikh_how_i_m_preparing_to_get_alzheimer_s/

transcript#t-71479. Accessed 18 Nov. 2021.

"How Memories Form and How We Lose Them." TedTalk, uploaded by Catharine Young,

Sept. 2015, www.ted.com/talks/ catharine_young_how_memories_form_and_how_we_lose

_them/transcript. Accessed 1 Dec. 2021.

Stages Of Alzheimer's Disease. 8 July 2021. NIH National Institute on Aging,

www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet#changes. Accessed 15 Dec. 2021.

"What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer's." Ted Talk, uploaded by Lisa Genova,

Apr. 2017, www.ted.com/talks/lisa_genova_what_you_can_do_to_prevent_alzheimer_s/

transcript#t-821688. Accessed 2 Nov. 2021.