Alzheimers Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Alzheimers Disease - Essay ExampleThe frequency of AD increases with each adult of decade life, reaching 20-40% of the universe over the age of 85 (Fauci et.al, 2008). It is present in approximately 3% to 11% of people older than 65 years of age and in 25% to 47% of people older than 85% (Seidel et.al, 2006).The cognitive changes with AD tend to follow a characteristic pattern, beginning with memory impairment and spreading to nomenclature and visuospatial deficits (Fauci et al., 2008). Initially, patients present with forgetfulness, with them having difficulty remembering recent events or names of familiar people. However, as the disease progresses, their cognition is affected and they no longer think clearly. Eventually, expression deficits will present as problems in speaking, understanding, reading, or writing. Problems with simple activities of daily living (ADL) such as dressing, eating and solving simple calculations will currently follow.The more or less important risk f actors for AD are old age & a positive family history (Fauci, et.al, 2008). The risk for AD increases with increasing age and although the most cases do not show an inheritance patter, there is Familial Alzheimers Disease which is an inherited and rareform of this disease, occurring at an earlier onset. ... Females are affected more than males.At present, the only way to definitely diagnose Alzheimersis through a brain autopsy but for living patients, physicians can correctly diagnose Alzheimersdisease about 90 percent of the time based on mental and behavioral symptoms, a physical examination, neuropsychological tests and laboratory tests (Alzheimers Disease Research, 2008). A thorough indispensable and objective assessment is pertinent to do in a patient suspected of having AD. Signs and symptoms experienced by the patient, especially of mental and behavioral deficits, and a bring to pass family history should be obtained from the patient. Physical examination and neuropsycholo gical examinations are also performed to confirm or rule out any pathology causing other types of dementia. mind scans such as MRI and CT Scan can show characteristic structural changes present in Alzheimers disease as well as rule out brain tumors or ischemia as the cause for the dementia. EEG can also be performed to measure the brain activity of the patient. neuropsychological examinations include the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), to help confirm that the patient is experiencing problems with intellectual functions (Alzheimers Disease Research, 2008). Patients who have a family history should undergo tests in their early 30s to 40s and as a general screening, older population, especially those with initial symptoms should have Health Assessment 4themselves tested in their 50s or 60s. The tests can be perennial every 6 or 12 months, to verify the degree of progression of the dementia.Non-pharmacological prevention strategies include early prevention and lifestyle modifi cation. Proper diet, regular consumption