Scientific

Running Head : Scientific Scientific

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Institution Name Alzheimer 's disease is often referred to as the "disease of the century

Alzheimer 's disease may have several underlying genetic causes . Three autosomal dominant genes - amyloid precursor protein (APP , presenilin I (PS I , and presenilin II (PS II ) - cause an early onset (less than 65 years of age ) familial form of Alzheimer 's disease . Another autosomal gene called apolipoprotein E (APOE ) may predispose an individual to develop the late onset (older than 65 years of age ) form of Alzheimer 's

br disease . Other as yet unmapped genes may also play roles in the causation of Alzheimer 's disease and may be used in molecular testing ? five years , is old enough so that other family members who might have developed the disease may have died of other causes . Some scientists argue that even these sporadic cases may be inherited but don 't appear clustered in families because of the death of the at-risk relatives from other causes before Alzheimer 's onset . Dementia that includes amnesia with aphasia (loss of speech ) or agraphia (loss of writing ability ) is thought to be of the sporadic type . Knowing whether these sporadic cases are genetic (inherited ) is probably not of concern to most families , as the actual manifestation of the disease is only occasional . However , to scientists trying to determine the cause of the disease in hope of devising effective prevention or treatment , this issue is a significant one (Kumar V , 1996

The exact cause of Alzheimer 's disease remains obscure , but several hypotheses have been put forward . Some forms of the disease are probably inherited . Genetic defects have been identified in three chromosomes involved in Alzheimer 's disease , and some apolipoprotein E genotypes may have a protective effect on the development of Alzheimer 's disease

The Molecular Origin of the Disease Senile plaques from postmortem Alzheimer 's brains are largely composed of short amyloid peptides , as shown in 1984 by George Glenner and his colleagues at the University of California , San Diego . Identification of the amyloid peptide , originally described as "beta protein " because of its adoption of a beta-sheet conformation , soon led to the cloning of the APP gene (Lendon C , Ashall F , Goate A , 1997

Life expectancy has increased dramatically during this century due to many factors , including the discovery of cures for many infectious diseases , the development of sophisticated medical and surgical technologies , and the promotion of healthier lifestyles . Many people now reach an age at which degenerative diseases of the brain , particularly Alzheimer 's disease , become common . Dementia , the loss of our most human qualities - reasoning , memory , and language - formerly was accepted as the natural consequence of reaching advanced old age . A grandparent who became confused and forgetful suffered from "hardening of the arteries in the brain " In the past , two etiologic factors were thought to be responsible for initiating the dementing process : advanced age and arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis . It is now obvious that they are neither necessary nor sufficient...