Alzheimers Essay, Research Paper
Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease is a progressive and irreversible
brain disease that destroys mental and physical functioning
in human beings, and invariably leads to death. It is the
fourth leading cause of adult death in the United States.
Alzheimer’s creates emotional and financial catastrophe for
many American families every year. Fortunately, a large
amount of progress is being made to combat Alzheimer’s
disease every year.
To fully be able to comprehend and combat Alzheimer’s
disease, one must know what it does to the brain, the part
of the human body it most greatly affects. Many Alzheimer’s
disease sufferers had their brains examined. A large number
of differences were present when comparing the normal brain
to the Alzheimer’s brain. There was a loss of nerve cells
from the Cerebral Cortex in the Alzheimer’s victim.
Approximately ten percent of the neurons in this region were
lost. But a ten percent loss is relatively minor, and
cannot account for the severe impairment suffered by
Alzheimer’s victims.
Neurofibrillary Tangles are also found in the brains of
Alzheimer’s victims. They are found within the cell bodies
of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex, and take on th