Discussion Questions

Discussion 5.2

            Memory impairment can bring complete devastation not only to the individual experiencing it but their families as well. Most if not all of us have seen the movie The Notebook in which one of the lead characters has Alzheimer’s and forgets who her husband is. Meanwhile her husband  reads to her the account of their love story written by the wife herself. She does not recognize her family when they come and visit her and the emotions there are high (Olez, 2018). Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disorder in which about 4 million people suffer from and is considered a form of dementia and the leading cause of it as well (Olez, 2018). Furthermore, this leads to more severe memory impairment in about 50% or more cases.  Doctor’s are puzzled by this and have little to no information about the cause.

            Memory loss and confusion are what people endure, the earlier stages the memory loss and confusion are mild. There are instances where confusion and frustration of individuals who are aware of the disease (Oelez, 2018). They then develop memory recall issues in which impacts short term memory among others. They continue to struggle with making decisions as well as processing basic instructions (Oelez, 2018). As the disease progresses individuals will forget purposes of items such as pens or spoons.

            Neurons are individual cells that allow for signals to travel through the brain (Oelez, 2018). Neurons are used to communicate with one another. In a person with Alzheimer’s their neurons are damaged and eventually they get destroyed. As this process occurs it messes with how the brain sends messages in which results in memory loss, confusion etc (Oelez, 2018). The main area that is impacted is the hippocampus plays a crucial role for memories retainment and formation. Eventually it spreads to the cortex. As the disease progresses more parts of the brain are impacted in which then leads to “nerve cell death” in which includes tissue loss and brain shrinkage in which the individual eventually dies (Olez, 2018). Individual’s usually live between nine and twelve years.

Another form of dementia is Huntington’s disease in which in is characterized by involuntary movements as well a decline in memory. Unlike Alzheimer’s disease there is a known cause for Huntington’s disease in which is defect in a genotype (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018). It is considered as autosomal disorder in which means someone who has one defective disorder has a chance of developing it (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018).. Both are forms of dementia but, Huntington’s is very rare in which can occur in young adults but mostly older ones in thirties and forties (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018).).

  Symptoms that people show range from psychiatric disorders to cognitive disorders as well as movement. Difficulty of organizing and not being able to prioritize tasks  as well as lack of one’s abilities and behaviors are two cognitive symptoms of Huntington’s (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018). Insomnia and obsessive-compulsive disorders are psychiatric conditions  that can be precursor to the disease. It is more difficult to diagnose Alzheimer’s than Huntington’s as researchers know about how  (Huntington’s) impacts the brain and underlying causes (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018).

In the earlier stages Huntington’s disease people have more of the cognitive, psychiatric and movement symptoms. Eventually that leads to issues in short term memory (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018).. Huntington’s progresses slowly in which it attacks the nervous system in which leads to nerves within the brain to stop working effectively.  It impacts the individual’s awareness and the movements of the body. As the nerve cells continue to deteriorate the individual declines cognitively and people have less ability to handle day to day tasks on their own (Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 2018). Towards the middle stages there is loss of a lot of physical control as the nerves continue to be damaged. Lastly in the final stage people are completely dependent, they can have issues ranging from struggling with speaking to chewing. Cognition, language and comprehension of the brain declines. People usually die within 15 to 22 years (Mayo Foundation, 2018).

Reference

Cooley, C. (2017, September). Brain Health: 5 Tips to Improve Memory and Cognitive Function. Retrieved from  http://thinkhealth.priorityhealth.com/brain-health-5-tips-to-improve-memory-and-cognitive-function/

Huntington's Disease Society of America. (2019). Huntington's Disease Society of America. Retrieved from https://hdsa.org

Oelez, P. (2018, May 6). Alzheimer's Brain: What Happens In A Brain With Alzheimer's Disease? Retrieved from https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/alzheimers/alzheimers-brain-what-happens-in-a-brain-with-Alzheimer's-disease/

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