Alzheimers Disease Essay - 2087 Words

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a form of degenerative, fatal dementia, is characterized by progressive cognitive decline. While AD is the most common form of dementia, its prevalence has only recently been recognized. When Alois Alzheimer first described the sequence of changes in 1907, physicians believed the disease to be an extremely rare, mid-life condition. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that the same types of changes were shown to occur in both late- and early-onset forms (Cavanaugh et.al. 2008). As such, almost all knowledge of AD has been learned within the past several decades, with new discoveries being reported almost daily. It is now estimated that Alzheimer’s accounts for as many as 60% of all dementias and affects more than 500,000†¦show more content†¦In neurofibrillary tangles, axons become twisted to form paired, helical filaments (PHFs) (Scheibel 1996). The PHFs are predominantly composed of the protein tau, a microtubule-associated prote in (Forsyth and Ritzline 1998). Normal tau protein promotes axonal integrity and transport by playing an important role in the assembly of microtubules throughout the nervous system. The gene responsible for tau synthesis is subject to alternative splicing and as a result, six isoforms of tau are found in the human brain (Buee et.al. 2000). These isoforms vary in their state of phosphorylation, altering the proteins’ binding affinity for microtubules. As observed in the neurofibrillary tangles of AD, pathological tau is hyperphosphorylated. Research suggests that this abnormal phosphorylation state is attributable to an imbalance in the regulation of tau kinases and phosphatases: either over-activity of kinase in the brain tissue or inactivity of the corresponding phosphatases (Drewes et.al. 1992). Hyperphosphorylation of tau initiates destabilization of microtubules, irregular axonal transmission, and ultimately, neuronal death (Figure 1). While some degree of tangling is a normative sign of aging, large concentrations of neurofibrillary tangles are well correlated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (Munoz 2000). ÃŽ ²-Amyloid (AÃŽ ²) is a 39-42 amino acid polypeptide formed from cleavage of aShow MoreRelatedAlzheimers Disease945 Words   |  4 PagesAlzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive neurological disease; it often attacks the brain tissues causing memory loss of one’s identity and regular behaviors. Statistics indicates that the rate of predicted people to get Alzheimer’s will increase briskly as time goes on. There are currently no cures for such disastrous disease, but there are currently approved treatments available that can help people within the early stages of Alzheimer’s. 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