Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is described as an incurable brain condition that progressively damages thinking and memory skills and can eventually prevent the affected patient from conduct even the simplest of activities. AD results from the degradation and ultimate death of brain neurons caused by amyloid plaques and tangles (“What Is Alzheimer's Disease?”, 2017). According to Gulli, Mallory & Alic (2015), AD is the sixth leading cause of adult deaths in the US. “Early Onset Familial Alzheimer’s Disease (EOFAD)," is a type of AD that is rare and relatively new. It is found in only 5% of AD patients (Niwa et al., 2013). While normal AD is usually diagnosed in over 65 years of age, early-onset Alzheimer's is diagnosed before 65. It has two main identifying factors: a positive history of dementia in the family and onset of dementia before the age of 65 (Wu et al., 2012). Early-onset Alzheimer's damages episodic memory. The disease is genetic and can be passed on to children through an autosomal recessive inheritance gene (Ryan et al., 2016). Some early pre-diagnosis warning signals include difficulty with daily tasks, declining job performance caused by memory loss, and displacement of daily items (Gulli, Mallory & Alic, 2015).
Symptoms Of Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease
The symptoms of EOFAD have been categorized into three groups; difficulties with everyday activities, psychiatric and behavioral symptoms, and cognitive deficits (Gulli, Mallory & Alic, 2015). Some of the daily activities that patients with EOFAD might have difficulty with include; personal hygiene tasks such as toileting and grooming, washing dishes or doing the laundry, and lawn mowing. Psychiatric and behavioral symptoms include delusions and depression (Gully, Mallory & Alic, 2015). Depression is the most common since patients are often sad and confused about what is happening to them (Tanaka et al., 2015). Finally, impaired episodic autobiographical memories are the chief cognitive deficit associated with EOFAD (Adriaanse, 2014). Other cognitive deficits include difficulty recognizing people and language loss.
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Genetics Of Early Onset Familial Alzheimer's Disease (EOFAD)
Scientists have genetically linked AD with mutations on three different genes; the “Presenilin-2 Gene” (PSEN2), the “ (PSEN1), and the “amyloid precursor protein” (APP) (Niwa et al., 2013). This disease manifests differently in each gene, which enables doctors to understand the one that is affected on the basis of their symptoms. Mutation of the beta and gamma-secretase sites in the amyloid precursor protein leads to the overproduction of beta-amyloid fragments, which causes the death of brain cells. This results in EOFAD. Mutations in the Presenilin-1 gene will cause overproduction of amyloid fragments as well, which causes EOFAD. Mutations in the Presenilin-2, however, lead to late offset Alzheimer's disease.
Prevention Of Alzheimer’s Disease
AD is incurable, and it progressively leads to death. However, there are several ways in which it can be prevented. By regularly engaging in physical activities can reduce the risk of contracting AD by up to half. Workouts arouse the brain’s capacity to retain old networks while simultaneously developing new ones. Individuals are recommended to practice at least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity exercises per week (Li and Liu, 2016). Another way of preventing AD is by being involved socially, considering humans are highly social beings. An individual should have a strong network of friends with regular face-to-face conversations (Leonard, 2018). Older people can join book clubs, form neighbor’s association groups, and visit public places to become socially involved. Maintaining a healthy and nutritious diet is another way of preventing AD. Inflammation is one of the causes of neuron damage in the brain cells, and adjusting eating habits can help reduce such inflammation. For instance, individuals should avoid sugary foods and refined carbs such as white flour, white rice, and pasta. Eating foods such as fish, vegetables, olive oil, beans, and whole grains is recommended. Avoiding alcohol or moderate drinking is also advised.
References
Adriaanse, S. M., Binnewijzend, M. A., Ossenkoppele, R., Tijms, B. M., Flier, W. M., Koene, T., . . . Barkhof, F. (2014). Widespread Disruption of Functional Brain Organization in Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease. PLoS ONE, 9(7). doi: https://10.1371/journal.pone.0102995/
Gulli, L., Mallory, N., & Alic, M. (2015). Alzheimer's disease. In J. L. Longe (Ed.), Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine, Vol. 1. (5th ed.). Detroit: Gale. Retrieved December 05, 2016, from Nursing Resource Center via Gale
Leonard, W. (2018, February 8). Alzheimer's Disease Prevention: Steps to take. Health line. https://www.healthline.com/health/alzheimers-disease-prevention
Li, R., & Liu, Y. (2016). Physical Activity and The Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. Journal of sport and health science, 5(4), 381.
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Parra, M. A., Saarimäki, H., Bastin, M. E., Londoño, A. C., Pettit, L., Lopera, F., . . . Abrahams, S. (2015, March 11). Memory binding and white matter integrity in familial Alzheimer’s disease. Brain, 138(5), 1355-1369. doi: https://10.1093/brain/awv048/
Niwa, A., Matsuo, K., Shindo, A., Yata, K., Shiraishi, T., & Tomimoto, H. (2012). Clinical and neuropathological findings in a patient with familial Alzheimer's disease showing a mutation in the PSEN1 gene. Neuropathology, 33(2), 199-203. doi: https://10.1111/j.1440-1789.2012.01340.x/
Tanaka, H., Hashimoto, M., Fukuhara, R., Ishikawa, T., Yatabe, Y., Kaneda, K., . . . Ikeda, M. (2015). Relationship between dementia severity and behavioral and psychological symptoms in early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Psychogeriatrics, 15(4), 242-247. doi: https://10.1111/psyg.12108/
What Is Alzheimer's Disease? National Institute on Aging. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-alzheimers-disease .
