the brain (National Institute of Mental Health, 1994).A common concern that is thought of when talking about the cause of Alzheimer's Disease is that of it being genetic or not. Although this question is still being researched, and is not yet fully understood, it is believed that early-onset AD is more likely to run in families than AD that strikes later in life. A belief that genetics has a roll in early-onset AD is supported by genetic markers that have been found on chromosome 21 and 14, but remember early-onset AD affects a small subgroup of people. A small amount of evidence points to the relationship of chromosome 19 to that of Alzheimer's Disease that affects the elderly. Although there is this evidence, there is only a slim chance that a close relative of an afflicted individual will develop Alzheimer's. If one has a family member with AD their chance of getting the disease is only slightly higher than that of the general public (National Institute of Mental Health, 1994).Alzheimer's Disease progresses in stages, therefore the symptoms depend on in which stage the affected person is. The onset of the disease is slow, but gradually over time it becomes more aggressive and harmful to the person's health. At first the person will experience short-term memory loss which results in the forgetting of simple daily activities. For example, the persons might forget to take his or hers daily medicine. Also during this stage mild personality changes may occur, along with withdrawal from social interaction. The person will also experience memory loss that could effect their job, and the often misplacing of things. As the disease progresses the person will begin to have problems with abstract thinking and intellectual functioning, and they will become agitated, irritable, and quarrelsome. Considered to be in the later stages of the disease are symptoms such as disorientation and confusion of what month and even year it is, as wel...
