Question

Describe some of the brain-related changes that are involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Define Alzheimer’s disease. Then think about how you would explain to the family of a newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s patient what’s going on inside of their family member’s brain that is causing the changes they see in their loved one.

Answer 1

alzheimers disease is a chronic disease characterised by neurodegenration. it gradually worsens. common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. behavioral issues, language issues, mood swings and disorientation are common symptoms. it is associated with tangles and plaques in the brain. alzheimers disease is a associated with loss of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex and subcortical areas. it leads to degeneration in temporal and parietal lobe and also in some parts of frontal cortex as well as cingulate gyrus. use of MRI and PET show reductions in size of specific regions. mild cognitive issues lead to alzheimers disease. miscroscopy has found amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. plaque accumulation of abnormally folded amyloi protein in teh brain causes misfolding disease. secretions of gamma secretase and beta secretase act together causing APP to be divided into fragments, one of which results in rise of fibrils of amyloid beta forming lumps outside neurons. accumulation of amyloid fibrils result in disruption of the calcium ion homeostasis of a cell leading to programmed cell death. it inhibits certain enzyme functions and ultisation of glucose by neurons. these are the changes in the brain during alzheimers disease. it can explained by ct scan reports and MRI and PTE and then all the changes with a proper refernce can be done.