mers is marked by abnormal clumps called senile plaques and irregular knots called neurofibrillary tangles of brain cells. For reasons not well understood, these plaques and tangles take over healthy brain tissue, devastating the areas of the brain associated with intellectual function (Alzheimers.com).Normally, the nerve cells in the brain are arranged in an orderly manner. In Alzheimers they become extremely disorganized and tortured looking and they stop functioning. As brain cells stop working, part of the brain dies, and the activities those cells control, memory, reasoning, and ability to take care of oneself, fade away. As more neurofibrillary tangles form, mental abilities deteriorate further, a state called progressive dementia (Alzheimers.com).Scientists are still not certain what causes the disease. Age and family history with Alzheimers disease are identifiable risk factors for the disease. Scientists are still exploring the role of genetics in the development of Alzheimers, focussing on chromosome 19, rarer forms of the disease, which strike people in their 30s and 40s, often run within families and appear to be related to chromosome 1, chromosome 14, and chromosome 21 (Gwyther, 2000). Many researchers and physicians are coming to believe that Alzheimers is a complex disease, probably caused by a variety of influences (Gwyther, 2000). There is no sure-fire way to prevent the onset of Alzheimers disease. But some preventative treatments, such as estrogen for women, are promising (Alzheimers.com).Cases where several members of a single family have had autopsy confirmed diagnosiss of Alzheimers disease are rare. Much more common is the situation where a single family member is diagnosed as having probable Alzheimers, meaning that physicians are 80 to 90 percent certain that it is Alzheimers (Gwyther, 2000). A persons risk of developing the disease seems to be slightly high if a first-degree relative, brother, ...
