Alzheimer's Disease: Brain Changes, Symptoms and Treatment

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Journal of Brain Research is a world class open access journal intended to publish the cutting-edge research in the field of Neurology or Neuroscience.

Journal of Brain Research endeavours to publish both basic, fundamental and advanced developmental research in all aspects of Neurological Disorders and treatments the journal aims to provide a platform for the exchange of scientific information addressing research topics in the field of Brain and Neurological sciences.

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior in older adults. The disorder affects an estimated 5.7 million Americans and is the fifth-leading cause of death in people ages 65 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Alzheimer's disease is often used as a synonym for dementia, which is a devastating loss of memory and cognitive function in older people, Dementia is an umbrella term for impaired memory thinking skills, and Alzheimer's is a specific form of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is responsible for 50-70% of all dementia cases, according to Alzheimers.

The increased appearance of plaques, which are protein deposits that buildup in the spaces between nerve cells, is widely believed to be what initiates the disease in the brain. Twisted tangles of proteins called tau proteins can build up inside nerve cells, and along with increased numbers of plaques, can block communication between nerve cells.

The continued loss of connections between nerve cells damages them to the point that they can no longer function properly in the parts of the brain affecting memory, and the nerve cells eventually die. As more nerve cells die, parts of the brain that control reasoning, language and thinking skills are also affected, and brain tissue begins to shrink.

Symptoms:

The brain changes associated with Alzheimer's may begin a decade or more before a person begins experiencing symptoms.
• Repeating statements and questions over and over.
• Forgetting conversations, appointments or events, and not remembering them later.
• Routinely misplacing possessions, and frequently putting them in illogical places.
• Getting lost in familiar places.
• Trouble finding the right words to identify objects, expressing thoughts or participating in conversations.
• Having difficulty concentrating and thinking and managing finances.
• Struggling to do once-routine activities.

Diagnosis:
positron emission tomography (PET) scans of the brain, which can detect whether plaques or tangles are present, have been used to diagnose or monitor the disease, especially in research.
• Another exciting breakthrough is the use of cerebrospinal fluid from a spinal tap to measure abnormal protein concentrations in the brain, which indicates the presence of Alzheimer's.

Treatment:
There isn't a cure for Alzheimer's, but there are medications available that treat some of the symptoms of the disease.
• Cholinesterase inhibitors are drugs that may help with symptoms such as agitation or depression. These drugs include donepezil (Aricept), galantamine (Razadyne) and rivastigmine (Exelon).
• Another medication known as memantine (Namenda) may be used to slow the progression of symptoms in people with moderate to severe Alzheimer's.
• Some patients may be prescribed antidepressants to control behavioral symptoms.

To Know about the latest advances in the treatment the Journal accepts original manuscripts in the form of Research articles, Review articles, Clinical reviews, Commentaries, Case reports, Perspectives and Short Communications encompassing all aspects of Brain Research for publication in open access platform.

Submit manuscript directly online at: https://www.scholarscentral.org/submissions/brain-research.html or as an e-mail attachment to this E-mail: brainres@emedsci.com

All the manuscripts published by Journal of Brain Research are available freely online immediately after publication without any subscription charges or registration.

Media Contact
Augustina
Journal Manager
Journal of Brain Research
Email: brainres@emedsci.com
WhatsApp: +1-947-333-4405