Extra Credit: Alzheimer's Disease

Question 1

What are the signs and symptoms?

Answer 1

• Degenerative brain disorder that causes progressive memory loss, motor deficits, and death
  1) Memory
  2) Concentration and cognitive functions
  3) Orientation
  4) Social functioning
  5) Self-care
• Begins with MCI

Question 2

What are Plaques and Tangles?

Answer 2

Plaques:

• Deposit containing a dense core of B-amyloid proteins
• Surrounded by degenerative axons and dendrites: found in cerebral cortex
• Positively correlated with cognitive decline

Tangles:

• Paired Helical Filaments
• A dying neuron containing accumulations of abnormal tau-proteins
• Structural changes and block transport: found in cortex and hippocampus

Question 3

What areas of the brain are affected?

Answer 3

• Degeneration and shrinkage: neocortical regions; limbic cortex; entorhinal cortex
• Neurons: loss of dendritic branching

Question 4

Treatment types?

Answer 4

1) Cholinergic Manipulations: AChE inhibitors (Aricept)
2) Monoamine Manipulations: stabilize mood (MAO-B inhibitors)
3) NSAIDs: ibuprofen; slow the progression of AD
4) Vaccine: amyloid antibodies