There are several hypotheses that have been propounded that try to explain the cause of this disease. Some of the old ones try to justify the cholinergic hypothesis that indicates that the disease is caused due to reduced biosynthesis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the nerve cells. This deficiency initiates more aggregation of the specific protein that may lead to neuroinflammation of the brain nerves. (Hashimoto, Rockenstein, Crews and Masliah, 2003)
Recent research has also linked the disease with increased aggregation and misfolding of proteins and specifically tau and amyloid beta. Sometimes environmental factors that may include trauma, previous injuries on the head, incidences of migraine especially on women, excess defoliants and lack of enough exercises at the young age also may cause Alzheimer. Other researchers have linked it to dominant inheriting genes in the family that come as a result of mutations in presenilin genes. Dentate gyrus and lack of adulthood neurogenesis can also cause Alzheimer’s.
(Munoz and Feldman, 2000) Prevention and Treatment The common risk reducers that have been suggested include playing chess, frequent body exercises, better social interactions, and filling crosswords among others. It is widely believed that lonely people tend to be more at risk than socially active individuals. Getting a balanced diet and good nutrient supplements with low fat foods e. g. Docosahexaenoic acids, vitamin E and B, folic acids and Omega-3 acids may help in preventing this disorder. (Maurer, Konrad and Maurer, 2003)
Many scientist recommend that various treatment classes should be adhered to, this classes may include measures to be applied in improving the patients sleep which includes receiving sufficient sunlight and having enough limitation on the intake of fluids during the night that will eventually reduce the urge for urination. In many cases patients having a difficulty in concentrating are recommended to be put under medication with antidepressants while those suffering from unhappiness feelings are reported to have an advantage of using these antidepressants.
They are also recommended that psychiatric drugs that have less side effects on the patient should be administered to the patients in order to stop the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, examples for such drugs are Ziprasidone, olanzapine, clozapine quetiapine and ziprasidone. These drugs have been used to replace the use of the antipsychotic that was in use before the invention of the new drugs though they have been records claiming that these drugs have high chances of unexpected death among the patients.
(Maurer, Konrad and Maurer, 2003) The management of these patients has been enhanced by the education in health care giving which is said to be enhancing the knowledge passed to the people about this disease. Among the health specialists taking care of the people with this deficiency always practice the Repeat, Reassure and Redirect procedures that are directed in the reduction of the use of medical products in handling the disease.
Vaccination is also used as a method of treatment of the disease rather than prevention; the vaccination is used to augment the patients’ immune system to recognize the excess protein whereby it will be in a position to invalidate the effect of the excess proteins in the brain. (Lott and Head, 2005) Conclusion It is worth noting that this disease is not an ordinary element of aging process in people’s lives and it cannot therefore be associated with the older people only. Alzheimer disease is only a common disease with people over the age of 65 years but there is no guarantee that it will attack any person over that age.
Research has also proved that people can live a longer life without developing the disease as long as they indulge in good social interaction and other body physical exercises. It is also prudent to know that this disease has no specific cure. Most patient suffering from dementia in old age are frequently attacked with Alzheimer, age is a major factor in the disease occurrence, in people who are over 65, between 2-3% were found to suffer from the disease while in people aged over 85, 25-50% showed signs of the disease Nevertheless; proper dieting and clean environment can reduce the chance s of one developing the disease.
In recent studies in was suggested that one can reduce the rate of developing Alzheimer disease buy getting involved in intellectual stimulation for example playing with chess, doing regular exercise, being socially active, eating a lot of fruits that supplement vitamins and reduction in alcohol consumption.
Reference
Hashimoto, M. , Rockenstein, E. , Crews, L. and Masliah, E. (2003): Role of protein Aggregation in mitochondrial dysfunction and neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, Neuromolecular Medical Pp 19-34 Lott, I. & Head, E. (2005): Alzheimer Disease and Down syndrome Factors In Pathogenesis, Neurobiology Aging, 24 (4), Pp 25-49. Munoz, D and Feldman, H. (2000): Causes of Alzheimer’s disease. CMAJ 150 (2), Pp 55- 66 Maurer, Konrad and Maurer, (2003) Alzheimer: The Life of a Physician and the Career Of a Disease New York: Columbia University Press Prince M, And Brayne C, Et Al (2005):-Global Prevalence of Dementia, a Delphi Consensus Study Lancet 366 (9503): 2112-7.