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Alzheimer's
By Emily Toro
Period 1
What is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s is a psychological disorder that causes
problems with the memory, thinking, and behavior.
Alzheimer’s is a dementia type of disorder
What is dementia?
De- “Away from” Mens- “Mind”
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning
- Thinking, remembering, and reasoning
Alois Alzheimer’s
Alois Alzheimer was a psychiatrist and
neuropathologist who reported Alzheimer’s disease as
he noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who
had died of poor memory and mental illness
After an autopsy he found changes in the brain tissue,
abnormal amyloid plaques, tangled bundles of fibers
Associated Features
Alzheimer’s include
Mood changes: Confusion about events, time, and
place, depression, hallucinations
Difficulty remembering
Memory loss
Familiar objects, family members, loss of
language, hard time performing movement
Swallowing
DSM-IV-TR
DSM-IV-TR Diagnostic Criteria for 294.1x Dementia of the Alzheimer's Type
A. The development of multiple cognitive deficits manifested by both
(1) memory impairment (impaired ability to learn new information or to recall previously learned
information)
(2) one (or more) of the following cognitive disturbances:
(a) aphasia (language disturbance)
(b) apraxia (impaired ability to carry out motor activities despite intact motor function)
(c) agnosia (failure to recognize or identify objects despite intact sensory function)
(d) disturbance in executive functioning (i.e., planning, organizing, sequencing, abstracting)
B. The cognitive deficits in Criteria A1 and A2 each cause significant impairment in social or
occupational functioning and represent a significant decline from a previous level of functioning.
C. The course is characterized by gradual onset and continuing cognitive decline.
D. The cognitive deficits in Criteria A1 and A2 are not due to any of the following:
(1) other central nervous system conditions that cause progressive deficits in memory
and cognition (e.g., cerebrovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease,
subdural hematoma, normal-pressure hydrocephalus, brain tumor)
(3) substance-induced conditions
(2) systemic conditions that are known to cause dementia (e.g., hypothyroidism, vitamin
B12 or folic acid deficiency, niacin deficiency, hypercalcemia, neurosyphilis, HIV
infection)
F. The disturbance is not better accounted for by another Axis I disorder (e.g., Major
Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia).
Code based on presence or absence of a clinically significant behavioral disturbance:
294.10 Without Behavioral Disturbance: if the cognitive disturbance is not
accompanied by any clinically significant behavioral disturbance.
294.11 With Behavioral Disturbance: if the cognitive disturbance is accompanied by a
clinically significant behavioral disturbance (e.g., wandering, agitation).
Specify subtype:
With Early Onset: if onset is at age 65 years or below
With Late Onset: if onset is after age 65 years
Stages of Alzheimer’s
Forgetfulness
-forgetting names and where things are
Early confusional
-lost at a familiar place, not being able to concentrate
hard time comprehending things
Late confusional
-forgetting personal history
Early dementia
problems recalling important features in life
Middle Dementia
-Unaware of surrounding
Late Dementia
-No ability to talk or to control things
Diagnosis
Autopsy
Brain Scanning
Is the only way that
doctors can definitely
diagnosed a person that
has Alzheimer’s
CAT and MRI scans
Making an
examination in the
brain tissue
Mini- Mental Examinations
-Questions to assess orientation
-Assessment of memory of new information
-Attention and calculation
-Memory recall
-Language
-Copy design
-Assessment of level of consciousness
Etiology
The Causes of Alzheimer’s
Scientist’s don’t yet know what are the causes of Alzheimer’s but they
base their theories on
include genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors
Ex.
-Genetics-Family history
-head injuries
Build up of Proteins in the brain
Scientists are still studying how plaques and tangles connect with Alzheimer’s
Plaques – deposits of the protein beta amyloid that accumulate in the
spaces between nerve cells
Tangles– deposits of the protein tau that accumulate inside of nerve cells
they block nerve cells’ ability to communicate with each other, making
it difficult for the cells to survive.
Prevalence
More than 5 million people in the United States are
living with Alzheimer’s
About 13% of people older than 65 have dementia
Prevalence rises to 50% with people who are over 85
The average life expectancy of people with Alzheimer’s
is 8 to 10 years after the symptoms
Down Syndrome- 100%
Treatment
There are no cure for this disease but medications do
exist to help control the symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA)
Donepezil Hydrochloride (Aricept)
Both medications help slow the breakdown of
acetylcholine
Side Effects:
Produce toxic effects on the liver, and
gastrointestinal side effects
Prognosis
People with Alzheimer’s would end up not
remembering their family members at all as much as
they try to stop it.
People with Alzheimer’s disease may need someone to take
care of all their needs such feeding, bathing, etc.
-
home or in a nursing home.
-
44% caregivers are spouses
-
Depression
-
-Family
-
There is no recovery or cure
References
Halguin, R.P. &Whitbourne, S.K. (2005). Abnormal psychology clinical
perspectives on psychological disorders. New York, NY: McGrawhill
Myers, D.G. (2011). Myers’ psychology for AP. New York, NY: Worth
Publishers
Howard C. (n.d). Alzheimer’s Disease. Retrieved from http://
www.medicinenet.com/alzheimers_disease_causes_stages_and_sy
mptoms/article.htm
Discussion Question
If someone in your family had Alzheimer's before
would you choose to be tested for the Alzheimer’s gene
or would you prefer not to know? Why or why not?