单选题
Alzheimer"s Disease
Alzheimer"s disease is the fourth leading cause of death in American adults after heart disease, cancer and stroke. The disease is named after the German doctor Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in one of his patients in 1906. Alzheimer"s disease primarily affects the elderly, although it may strike people in their 40s and 50s as well. Alzheimer"s affects men and women equally, and the average person dies within eight years of the onset of symptoms.
Alzheimer"s affects the nerve cells in areas of the brain responsible for speech, thought, memory and reason. These cells die off, and the victim eventually loses all ability to
carry out
routine everyday activities. Those
afflicted with
Alzheimer"s experience not only memory loss and confusion, but may also suffer from hallucinations, delusions, and depression and eventually total dementia. Autopsies of those who
succumb to
Alzheimer"s typically reveal extensive lesions of the brain of a type quite particular to Alzheimer"s sufferers.
It seems that in case of Alzheimer"s disease neuronal cells suffer a slow but painful death. The disease starts with the disappearance of vital brain cells, which continues at an ever-increasing rate. It has been speculated that capillaries, which lead to specific parts of the brain, calcify and do not allow for fresh blood supply replenishment. Consequently, neurons are deprived of vital nourishment. wither, and perish, never to be replaced again.
The tendency to develop A1zheimer"s lies in one person"s genetic makeup. Neurologists have discovered a pair of genes that might suffer several mutations that lead to Alzheimer"s. These genes are transmitted from generation to generation along with their propensity to undergo fatal mutations. A person with Alzheimer"s disease in the family is several times more likely to develop the disease during its lifetime than people who do not carry the Alzheimer"s gene in their DNA.
In the last decade, American"s awareness of the disease has increased. Screen actress Rita Hayworth, who died in 1987, was a victim suffering from the early stages of the disease. Organizations such as the Alzheimer"s Association. which works on behalf of those who suffer from Alzheimer"s, have welcomed the greater openness that has occurred recently surrounding this devastating illness.
As the American population ages, it seems likely that the incidence of this disease, which currently afflicts 4 million Americans, will increase. This is tragic not only for the sufferers but also for their families. The disease places severe emotional and financial hardships on caregivers, who frequently are family members. Because Alzheimer"s is a disease afflicting the mind, which impacts a
myriad
of daily tasks, sufferers often require constant supervision much as if they were small children. While research continues on the disease, the causes of Alzheimer"s are unknown at present, and no known cure is available. Treatment consists largely in attempting to alleviate some of the symptoms.
Glossary
Alzheimer:
a progressive form of dementia that usually starts in the 40s or 50s; first symptoms are impaired memory which is followed by impaired thought and speech and finally complete helplessness
dementia:
deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain
lesion:
a localized pathological change in a bodily organ or tissue
caregiver:
an individual, such as a physician, nurse, or social worker, who assists in the identification, prevention, or treatment of an illness or disability