Alzheimer s Disease Is Caused By Genetic Lifestyle /...

For most people. Alzheimer’s disease is caused by genetic lifestyle/environmental factors which can affect the brain over time Sometimes (Less than 5% of the time) it is caused by genetic changes. Still not fully understood-effects on the brain is clear. Damages and kills brain cells. Brain affected by it has many fewer cells and connections with surviving cells More brain cells die=brain shrinkage. When doctors examine brain tissue-they find two types of abnormalities Plaques. Clumps of protein-beta amyloid. Can damage and destroy brain cells in many ways such as interfering with cell communication. But, the real cause of cell death is not known-these protein clumps are a suspect Tangles. Brain cells depend on internal support†¦show more content†¦Forget conversations, appointments or events, and not recalling them later Frequently misplacing possessions and putting them in weird places Getting lost in places that are familiar to them. After a while forgetting familiar people and objects as well. Trouble finding things and expressing their thoughts in conversations Thinking and reasoning Causes difficulty concentrating and thinking overall usually about math. Multitasking can be very difficult and patients usually forget financing responsibilities. Making judgments and decisions Responding to everyday problems. Such as accidents in the car or on the stove. Planning and performing familiar tasks Usually routine activities take steps to do and even then are a struggle through the progression. Eventually people will forget how to perform basic tasks Changes in personality and behavior Brain changes can also affect Alzheimer s patients. Patients may have†¦. Depression Apathy Social withdrawal Mood swings Distrust Irritability aggressiveness Changes in sleeping habits Wandering Loss of inhibitions Delusions Important skills such as dancing, singing, enjoy old songs, engaging in hobbies, telling stories, and reminisce. Information learned earlier in life are the latest to be lost because these abilities get lost as the disease progresses. The part of the brain that has this information is affected