Showing posts with label Alzheimer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alzheimer. Show all posts

Monday 14 March 2022

How did Alzheimer find out the change in his patient's brain? - Part 1 - Alzheimer's 3

As you might know that Alzheimer's disease is the kind of dementia that has specific:

- signs

- and symptoms.



Fig 01- Nissl-stained in the brain tissue
(Picture from Neuroscience, Purves, et al)

Based on clinical research a patient who has dementia with Alzheimer's disease, in their brain has accumulation of:

- neurofibrillary tangles
- and amyloid plaques.

This disease got the name after a Germany physician and clinical psychiatrist, and also conducted some research related to brain disorders, Dr Alois Alzheimer.



Fig 02- Hit by car, just for illustration



Fig 03- Wild flower, illustration



Fig 04 – Just for fun



Fig 05- Decorative wood

Dr. Alzheimer was excited about working in the laboratory.

Franz Nissl who discovered a special staining technique became Dr. Alzheimer coworker and then also taught him about staining.

As we know at that time staining in the lab would helped the scientists to discover new finding in the organelles of the human body.

He worked with Nissl for couple years before Nissl moved out for better facility in his research.

However, they kept in touch being the best friend forever.

# To be continued to Part 2

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Tuesday 1 February 2022

The Early Person who Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Diseases - Part 2 – Alzheimer's 2

He found “dramatic brain shrinkage and abnormal deposits in and around nerve cells.”



Fig 01- Histopathology of Alzheimer's diseases
(Picture from Neuroscience, Purves, et al)

Brain shrinkage and the abnormal deposit in this day are called amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

From the picture, the yellow color are neurofibrillary tangles, and brown dark are amyloid plaques.

Specifically, it is in the neocortex, amygdala, and brainstem

The causes of Alzheimer's Disease is not fully understand yet.



Fig 02- Hot sauce, illustration only



Fig 03- Pomegranate, just for illustration

There are three principle features could be detected in every person who severe with the Alzheimer's disease:

1) Collection of intra-neuronal cytoskeletal filaments or neurofibrillary tangles, also we know as aggregate tau protein in the brain.

- tau protein to maintain microtubules steadiness in axons.

2) extracellular deposit of an abnormal amyloid or amyloid plaques.

3) A diffuse loss of neurons.

- The accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques lead to death of neuron cells so that the brain became shrinkage.

# Previous postings:

Sunday 16 January 2022

The Early Person who Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Diseases - Part 1 – Alzheimer's 2

It's over than one century since a German physician and psychiatrist, Alois Alzheimer, observed his own patient with suffered loss of memory and language ability.


Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German neurologist
(source: The Neurology Lounge)

She (the patient) also had:

- hallucinations
- delusions
- and cognitive impairment.

She was only 51 year-old and too early to had a dementia, so she was diagnosed as presenile dementia.

The presenile dementia is dementia that happen in early age, before senile age. Senile dementia occurs with patients after 65 years old.


Fig 02- Library sign, hit by car, illustration


Fig 03- Falling tree, illustration only

Dr. Alzheimer identified and described her psychological and behavioral, then when the patient passed away, Dr Alzheimer ask her family to autopsy her brain.

He took her brain to laboratory and did staining to get observation in her nervous system.

Fortunately, at that time the research methods using stain was developed quite well and the result was satisfy.

The staining was able to visualize the nerve cells.

# To be continued to Part 2

Monday 20 December 2021

The signs of late stage of Alzheimer's Disease – Part 2 - Alzheimer's 1

Claire believe it depends on how we talk to him, they always try to turn his attention into another one, and keep him with the activities that he able to do it.


Fig 01- Illustration only (credit to Google)

He wandered and did flip the time.

He sleeps tightly at day time and awake at all night long.

It was a little hard when he insisted to get out of house in the middle night to go church for Mass.

Every time he want to go church, he tried to get up, pulled the handle door, but the door had been locked and he kicked the door, screamed that he would be late to go Mass.

Spring, I didn't meet Claire. 


Fig 02- A book cover, illustration


Fig 03- Lily flowers in the garden

Summer.

I heard from Claire that his uncle in the late stage Alzheimer's (Stage 7 or severe decline). Some important signs of the late stage Alzheimer's are:

1) He lose words and he is not able to talk.
2) He has difficulty to swallow.
3) He eat pureed meal and drink thick liquid.
4) He has infection of pneumonia.
5) He has trouble in breathing and need breathing treatments.
6) Hospice is taking care of him.
7) He behaves well, quite, and calm.

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Thursday 16 December 2021

The signs of late stage of Alzheimer's Disease – Part 1 - Alzheimer's 1

It was late Winter when I went to Claire's house.

Chilled outside but in the house was warm enough.

I saw an electric fireplace was on. Claire's uncle was sitting on his wheelchair in front of the fireplace. He was a big guy, and turned around.


Fig 01- A house, just for illustration

When he saw me, he unlocked his chair and get couples of little steps toward me and he moved his right hand toward me.

I thought he want to greet me by hand shaking, but he pulled my hand and kissed it.

He always did the same things to every woman. Women only. He can recognize between man and woman.

Not always! Because he ask about me to his nurse aid, “Who's the man?” I guessed he didn't see my ponytail.


Fig 02- White flowers


Fig 03- An electric fireplace (Photo: Overstock)

He went back to his spot, in front of fireplace. He tried unbutton his top pajama, and took it off.

He wanted to put top pajama on through his feet. Claire came to him and fixed it.

He counted his pajama buttons, “One, two, three, four!” And he said, “Four!”

His nurse aid said, “Yes, you have four buttons.” He recount again and tell her, recount again and tell her, again, and again.

I ask Claire that is he easy get upset, angry, mad, or fight?

# To be continued to Part 2

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