4-2 - Alzheimer's Disease | IHP 310 - Pathophysiology and Pharmacology Concepts

Alzheimer'sDiseaseisadiseasethataffectsthebrainandnervous

system.Itcancausethenervecellsinthebraintodie.Thisdisease

getsworseovertime,it’salsoknownasatypeofdementia.Thereis

nocauseofthedisease,somedoctorsthinkitcouldbecauseddueto

age,familyhistorygenes,orImmunesystemproblems.Thisdisease

canbeclassifiedasearly-onsetwhichmeansfromearlyagesforties

tosixtiesorlate-onset.Signsthatsomepatientsmayshowwouldbe

Memoryloss,especiallyshort-termmemoryloss.Difficultydoing

normaldailytasks,difficultyspeaking,Confusionabouttimeand

place,Misplacingthings,moodchanges,orbehavior.

SeeingaNeurologistwillaskquestionsregardingoverallhealth,past

medicalhistory,andfamilyhistory.Theywilldoamini-mentalatthe

neurologist'soffice,whichisatestaskingsomequestionsorsaying

words,andgobacktoitaboutfiveminuteslateraskingthepatientat

thattimedotheyrememberthewordsthatwerejustaskedearlierin

theappointment.Theproviderwillaskthefamilyiftheynoticeany

changesinbehaviororpersonality.Thedoctormayorderbloodand

urineteststofindpossiblecausesoftheproblem.CT,MRIofthe

Brain,orpositionemissiontomographyisalsoknownasPetscanall

canbeusedtoruleoutothercausesoftheproblem.

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4-2 - Alzheimer's Disease