Index
- Alzheimer's disease, what goes on in the brains of the sick?
- Alzheimer's Disease: Definition
- What are its causes?
- How does it manifest itself?
- What happens to the brain during Alzheimer's disease?
- Before the onset of the first symptoms
- During the development of the disease
Alzheimer's disease, what goes on in the brains of the sick?
With age, deterioration in health is a completely natural process. Skin that loses its elasticity, eyesight that diminishes, the ability to hear diminishes with time, and hair that turns grey are natural. However, certain pathologies that also occur with age can be disabling for seniors. Eventually, they cause a total loss of autonomy. Among these diseases of old age, neurodegenerative diseases are very common. As is the case with Alzheimer's disease. This disease, which is characterized by the degeneration of neurons, still remains a mystery for scientists. What happens in a patient's brain? Find out a little more in the following paragraphs.
Alzheimer's Disease: Definition
Alzheimer's disease is primarily a neurological disease. In concrete terms, it is degenerative and progresses very slowly and progressively. Generally, this degenerative disease occurs from the age of 65 onwards. However, some people can suffer from it well before this age.
It is therefore a disease characterized by the degeneration of cortical neurons. This deterioration primarily affects the memory of the affected person. Then it evolves and causes the cognitive deterioration of the sick person. Since it is also a chronic disease, Alzheimer's disease is irreversible. And over time, the patient ends up becoming completely dependent from those around him or her or from medical personnel in all aspects of his or her life.
What are its causes?
Experts in the field have determined that the main cause of Alzheimer's disease is the loss or death of cells and tissues in the brain. Despite the many hypotheses concerning its hereditary nature, tangible proof has not yet been found. For example, many experts say that Alzheimer's disease is not hereditary.
In any case, certain factors may be likely to promote the development of this disease.
- Age - this is the biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. In fact, the older you get, the greater the risk of neuronal degeneration.
- Genes - even though this disease is not hereditary, specialists have discovered that the existence of certain genes promotes its development.
- Level of education - it was also found that people with higher education were less likely to have Alzheimer's disease.
- Alcoholism, vitamin E deficiency and social isolation would also have an impact on the occurrence of this disease.
How does it manifest itself?
Alzheimer's disease, although it takes several years to fully take hold, is fairly easy to recognize. The main symptoms that can give the ear a flea are usually :
- Progressive memory loss. This can manifest itself by difficulty remembering the location of certain everyday objects. The patient may also be prone to memory lapses and not recognize his or her neighborhood and to get lost on a regular basis;
- Disorientation in time and space
- Behavioural disorders usually manifested as depression, aggression, anxiety or confusion
- Language impairment. This symptom is the difficulty in using the right words or expressions
- The wandering
In order to take care of Alzheimer's disease in the best possible way and at an early stage, it is important that the person's family and friends pay attention to all of the above-mentioned signs. Indeed, early detection allows better relief of symptoms and delays the most complicated phase of the disease.
What happens to the brain during Alzheimer's disease?
As you may have guessed, Alzheimer's disease is mainly caused by the deterioration or even death of certain neurons in the area of the brain responsible for memory. Research has been conducted to better understand what happens in the brain before and during Alzheimer's disease.
Before the onset of the first symptoms
Before the first symptoms of the disease appear, various changes take place in the brain. These changes differ from the natural changes brought on by aging. For example, it has been discovered that around the age of 40, in people who develop Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampus atrophies. There are also the internal cavities located in the brain, particularly the lateral ventricles, which tend to widen earlier in people exposed to this pathology. In some people, even before the onset of the first cognitive problems, certain brain structures diminish considerably.
During the development of the disease
According to specialists, two distinct types of lesions occur in the brain during Alzheimer's disease:
- The formation of amyloid plaques: also called senile plaques, these are composed of beta-amyloid peptide and form between neurons. Eventually, they eventually destroy the neurons and prevent them from performing their functions.
- Neurofibrillary degeneration: this is an accumulation of a protein called "Tau protein" within neurons. This protein accumulates in the form of fibres and also interferes with the proper functioning of the part of the brain responsible for cognitive abilities.
In the more advanced stages of the disease, inflammation can also occur in the brain.
