1. Heather Kellogg March 6, 2013 Honors Psychology, Period 1
Alzheimer’s Disease
Heather Kellogg
March 6, 2013
Honors Psychology, Period 1

2. Common/Scientific name: Alzheimer’s Disease
Form of dementia

3. What causes AD?
The causes of Alzheimer’s disease are unknown but the following appear to play a role:
Inflammation of the brain
pollutants in drinking water
aluminum from commercial products
metal dental fillings

4. Target Population People over the age of 65
Occasionally people in their 30’s

5. How the CNS/PNS is affected
At first AD destroys neurons in parts of the brain that control memory, including the hippocampus, which controls short-term memory.
Later AD affects the cerebral cortex, particularly the area responsible for language
Regions of the brain affected by the disease become clogged with two abnormal structures, called neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques which interfere with the communication between neurons and cause neuron death.
Neurofibrillary tangles are twisted masses of protein fibers inside neurons.
The brain will then shrink is severe cases of AD

7. Symptoms memory loss that affects job skills
difficulty performing familiar tasks
problems with language
disorientation of time and place
poor or decreased judgment
problems with abstract thinking
misplacing things
changes in mood or behavior
changes in personality
loss of initiative
Problems with eating and communicating

8. Prognosis
AD may not be the direct cause of death, but does increases the risk of life-threatening infection, like pneumonia.
On average people with AD live eight years past their diagnosis
Range: years after diagnosis

9. Treatments/ Cures AD is incurable.
tacrine (Cognex) and donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept) – improve memory skills
rivastigmine (Exelon)- improve the ability of patients to carry out daily activities, like eating and dressing, decrease behavioral symptoms like agitation, and improve cognitive functions like thinking, memory, and speaking
antidepressants, anti-psychotics, and sedatives are used to treat the behavioral symptoms

10. Notable Cases Ronald Reagan 40th president
It was suspected that Reagan had AD but he was never officially diagnosed until 1990
Died in 2004 at the age of 93

11. Organizations
The Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADCs) program promotes research, training and education, and cooperative studies in AD, other dementias, and normal brain aging
Alzheimer's Association
Many nursing homes

12. Works Cited
Sims, J. (2002). Alzheimer's Disease. In D. S. Blanchfield & J. L. Longe (Eds.), The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine (2nd ed., Vol. 1, pp ). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from
President Reagan suffered from Alzheimer's while in office, according to son. (2011, January 1). Retrieved from Washington Post website: