Alzheimer's Disease

Image via Bayshore Memory Care

          Alzheimer's disease is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by incorrectly folded beta-amyloid proteins and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain that gradually shut down the functions of each part of the brain. As it progresses, the beta-amyloid proteins, disrupt and take over short term memory, logical thought processing, emotions, long term memory, and finally the part of the brain that controls heart rate and breathing. I have added an interactive animation that compares the Alzheimer's brain to a normal brain at a microscopic and cellular level. A scholarly article focuses on how its affects verbal fluency. More than the biological effects of Alzheimer's, the emotional toll that it takes on the patient and their family is tremendous. An NPR podcast features a 65-year-old diagnosed patient that deals with how to die, before the disease takes his identity and memory. Finally, although no cure for Alzheimer's has been found, a new imaging technique has revealed a perhaps more prominent culprit of the disease. However, until a cure is found, a Ted-ED shows how scientists are attempting to slow the progression of Alzheimer's.