Understanding the Definition of Alzheimer Disease

Do you know what definition of alzheimer disease is? Read this article to know about it. Alzheimer disease is an acquired disorder on the human that cause behavioral and cognitive impairment. It can interfere the occupational and social function. Unfortunately, it is an incurable disease with a long and progressive course.

Alzheimer disease affects approximately 5.3 million people in the United States. The number is estimated to reach 13.8 million by the year 2050.

Alzheimer disease is also one of the most major public health problems economically. The expense of healthcare, long-term care, and hospice care for people aged 65 years and older with Alzheimer disease and other dementias was expected to be $226 billion in the United States in 2015. This number does not include role and the contributions of unpaid or volunteer caregivers.

Medical Definition Of Alzheimer Disease

Do you know what happen in patients with Alzheimer disease? You should know that plaques develop in the hippocampus in the patient with Alzheimer disease. The hippocampus is a structure deep in the brain that helps humans to encode their memories. In the other areas of the cerebral cortex, it is used in thinking and making decision processes. The experts still do not know whether the plaques themselves cause Alzheimer disease or whether they are a by-product of the Alzheimer disease process.

Historical Background to Understand Definition of Alzheimer Disease

A German psychiatrist named Alois Alzheimer monitored a 51-year-old patient at the Frankfurt Asylum named Mrs. Auguste D in 1901. This woman suffered from a short-term memory loss, among other behavioral symptoms that confused Dr. Alzheimer. In April 1906, the patient died. Then, Dr. Alzheimer sent her medical records and her brain to Munich. In this city, he was working in Dr. Emil Kraeplin's lab. He was able to identify and recognize amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles by staining sections of patient's brain in this the laboratory.

On November 3, 1906, a speech explained by Dr. Alzheimer. It was the first time the clinical symptoms and the pathology of the disorder. At that point, this pathology was termed presenile dementia, were presented together. Alzheimer published his findings in 1907.

Dramatic progress has been obtained in understanding the pathophysiology and the neurogenetics of Alzheimer disease in the past 15-20 years. It was explained that four different genes have been definitively associated with Alzheimer disease. Others probable role also have been identified. The mechanisms by which changed amyloid and tau protein metabolism, hormonal changes, inflammation, and oxidative stress may generate neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer disease are being elucidated, and rational pharmacologic interventions based on these discoveries are being developed.

Nowadays, the only method to make a definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer disease is an autopsy or brain biopsy. Usually, in clinical practice, the diagnosis is made only based on the health history and findings on mental status examination.

Also, the only available treatments for Alzheimer disease is symptomatic therapies. Currently, cholinesterase inhibitor agent and a partial N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist are used for standard medical procedures of Alzheimer disease. The physician also often use psychotropic medications to treat secondary symptoms of Alzheimer disease, such as agitation, depression, and sleep disorders.

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