Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a condition that results in changes in the brain and affects the memory of individual as well as other mental abilities. The disease has many effects on the brain of an individual and as it progresses so does its effect on the individual’s life and those around him or her. The historical evaluations of the disease provide a basis for understanding the disease better and the approaches that may help in combating it. This when coupled with current research provides relevant information that can help understand how it affects the brain (Perry, 2013).
Alzheimer’s disease is progressive and irreversible mental condition that begins with the loss of memory and loss of reasoning abilities by the person affected. It is a form of dementia that occurs in older adults and changes their lives due to the effects it causes on their daily lives as well as that of their family and friends. The condition affects the language comprehension of the person and impairs their ability to make decisions, judgments and other skills that enables one to go about their day to day activities in some cases, the condition results in changes in personality and behaviors.
In order to understand the condition better, it is important to evaluate the historical approaches and evaluations used in its diagnosis and treatment. The disease got its name in 1906 from Dr. Alois Alzheimer when he noticed changes in the memory of a woman who had an unusual mental condition. Upon examining her brain after her death, he noted that there were abnormal clumps that are now referred to as amyloid plaques. He also found tangled fibers now called the neurofibrillary tangles. He realized that these were the main features of the condition with the third one being loss in the connection between neurons in the brain. Ever since its discovery in 1906, very little was known about the disease until thirty years ago when further research was done to understand its relation to genetics, biological factors and environmental issues that may cause it (Lifshitz, Farfara & Frenkel, 2010). However, in 1932, an electron microscope was discovered and this made it easier to study the brain and understand the function of the brain cells. In 1968, the cognitive measurement scale to be used in older adults to understand the decline of their mental functioning was developed. Between 1970 and 1979, the modern era of research on the disease provided a new point in the fight against the disease. The discovery of the ebta-amyloid protein as the main component of the plaques by Glenner and Wong changed the perception and approaches to the condition. This led to the discovery of the tau protein that is a key component in the tangles leading to the degeneration of nerve cells. Later on in 1987, the first trial treatment of the disease with the use of tacrine was done. Various discoveries about the disease have been mad that has made it possible to understand the manifestation, diagnosis and possibly the treatment of the condition (Shua-Haim & Ross, 2009). However, current research on the condition includes search for treatment where associations are being done to ensure that the disease is curbed as it is among the six leading causes of deaths in the US. Just like in the past, the treatments given to patients do not treat the underlying causes of the diseases, but help improve the memory and thinking issues temporarily.
In conclusion, the Alzheimer’s disease is one of the major causes of deaths worldwide and a lot is not known about the condition especially its treatment. The discovery of the disease in 1906 has opened doors for numerous researches on its effects. Now, researchers understand the disease better, but a lot needs to be done to help come up with better approaches for evaluation and treatment of the disease.
References
Lifshitz, V., Farfara, D., & Frenkel, D. (2010). "Glia Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: New
Insights for the Development of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology." Alzheimer's &
Dementia, 4(34), 193.
Perry, G. (2013). Alzheimers Disease Advances for a New Century. Amsterdam: IOS.
Shua-Haim, J. R., & Ross, J. S. (2009). "Alzheimer's Syndrome and Not Alzheimer's Disease:
The Historical Struggle to Define the Disease." American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
and Other Dementias, 5(3), 92-95.
