Throughout history, progressive mental deterioration in old age, has been recognized and described. However, not until 1906 did Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German physician, identify abnormalities in the brain cells of his patient, Auguste D (52 year old), as a disease. Auguste D’s brain autopsy was performed after she died of severe memory problems, confusion and difficulty in understanding questions. The autopsy revealed the nerve cells surrounded by dense deposits (neuritic plaques). The inside of the nerve cells revealed twisted bands of fibres (neurofibrillary tangles). This degenerative brain disorder now bears his name, and the plaques and tangles mean a definite diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD).(Yang, Kim, Lee, Young, & Joanette, 2016). …show more content…
Early diagnosis is error prone and subjective since the pathology starts from the brain tissue where it conveniently remains hidden. Physicians use tools available with them for diagnosis such as the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), which is used to test a patient’s cognitive abilities. Imaging techniques such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans are also used to visualize both the degeneration of the Hippocampus, Sulci, And Gyri and the decreased glucose …show more content…
An increase in distribution and density of both amyloid plaques and NFTs was seen from MCI to LAD. Use of imaging techniques such as MRI, demonstrates the varying degrees of degeneration in all stages of clinical AD, where MCI presents a relatively small degeneration affecting the Hippocampus, Sulci, And Gyri, whereas LAD affects the same regions to a greater extent and this is accompanied by additional atrophy of the frontal lobe and ventricular widening in EAD and LAD. PET scans revealed a significant reduction in the glucose utilization within the brain of AD patients indicating a severe energy deficiency (Butterfield, Swomley, & Sultana, 2013).
1.3 Changes in the brain:
Alzheimer’s disease strikes certain brain parts first, like the limbic system, primarily the hippocampus, followed by the cerebral cortex, then the brain stem, causing the loss of function in these structures and the symptoms are a direct result of this sequential damage:
1. Damage to the Limbic system (hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, and more) impairs memory and causes mood swings.
2. Damage to the Cerebral cortex (frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal lobes) results in trouble controlling emotional outbursts. People at this stage may need help with daily activities.
3. Damage to the Brain stem (cerebellum, pons, and medulla oblongata) occurs late in AD impairing organ functions, including the function of the heart, lungs, and various other bodily