Describe how the plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease disrupt nerve impulses.
Describe how the plaques found in Alzheimer’s disease disrupt nerve impulses.
Alzheimer's disease causes the brain to shrink and the brain cells to die. It is the major cause of dementia and impairs cognitive and social skills. The initial symptoms of the condition is the failure to remember recent events and conversations and as the condition progresses it leads to severe impairment in the memory that can affect day-to-day life. Patients suffering from Alzheimer's often repeat the same statements and questions, again and again, forget their possessions, forget the names of the family members, will find it difficult to make the right choice of words for starting a conversation etc. Concentration and thinking are impaired totally and it is difficult to comprehend abstract concepts like numbers. Judgement making ability is impaired in a person with Alzheimer's. Even basic tasks like dressing and bathing are forgotten by the patient. Changes in mood and behaviour like depression, social withdrawal, mood swings, irritability, delusions, etc can be observed. Some of the risk factors of Alzheimer's include old age, family history, down syndrome, head trauma, excessive alcohol consumption, etc. As the condition progresses there can be difficulty in swallowing, bladder control, etc. These patients are highly vulnerable to falls, fractures, malnutrition, aspiration, tooth decay, etc.
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