Alzheimer's disease twenty-first century and its impact on the Dominican Republic.ResumeThis work presents a study on Alzheimer's and its impact on the Dominican Republic is done. Definition, symptoms, causes, characteristics and associations, In the description of the disease is made. As various studies around the world on the above subject are also shown.MethodsThis research is mainly performed by the reference to a series of studies conducted in various countries which includes the Dominican Republic which are reflected in the Internet, books, newspaper articles and magazines.ResultsThe results obtained in this research are reflected in various prejudices that are made to prevent the disease and if you have already the ways on how to treat people with this condition. As well as statistical data and results of clinical trials conducted are also provided.ConclusionThe importance of this research is to demonstrate with relevant data the importance of this disease and how to simply challenge your mind throughout their lives either by reading, writing or games are less likely to have disease.keywords Alzheimer, degenerative disease, Dominican Republic, cerebral cortex, aged.

What is Alzheimer's disease?Alzheimer's disease causes a decrease in severe enough to interfere with the ability to perform activities of daily living intellectual functions. It is the most common dementia.

It is progressive, degenerative brain causing impaired memory, thinking and behavior.

The person suffering may experience or feel confusion, disorientation in time and place, changes in personality and behavior, impaired judgment, difficulty finding words, finish thoughts or ideas and to follow directions. Finally incapacitates the sufferer to take care of yourself.

What happens in the brain with Alzheimer's disease?The neurons that control memory and thinking are impaired, disrupting message passing between them. These cells develop distinctive changes: senile plaques and neurofribilares bundles (degeneration of brain tissue). The cortex of the brain (the main source of intellectual functions) atrophy, shrink and spaces in the center of the brain enlarge, thus reducing its surface.

What are the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease?It is a dementing illness that leads to a loss of intellectual capacity. Symptoms usually occur in adults over 65 years (although it can affect people of 40 and 50), may include lost in language skills such as word finding difficulties, problems with abstract thinking, poor judgment, disorientation time and space, behavioral and personality disorders. The overall result is a marked decrease in personal activities and work performance.

Who may be affected by Alzheimer's disease?Alzheimer's disease is no respecter of socioeconomic class, race or ethnic group, affects both men and women, but more often people over about 10% over 65 years and 47% older than 85 years.What causes Alzheimer's disease?The cause of the disease is unknown, researchers are working on possible environmental causes such as toxic nerve damage, chemical deficiencies, genetic abnormalities, viruses, and dysfunction in the immune system.Is Alzheimer's disease hereditary?There is a greater willingness on the children and siblings of patients with Alzheimer's disease to contract. This predisposition does not involve inheritance. Only 10% of the Alzheimer type dementia are hereditary (familial AD). For this diagnosis should be available more than one affected member (usually 3 or more members) with a diagnosis of certainty, ie, a pathological confirmation. Family members who require this pathological study of the brain of the family as a right to know the definitive diagnosis and to contribute to Alzheimer's genetic research, knowledge of the disease and the advancement of science are asked to find causes and cures .How people survive with Alzheimer's disease?They can survive for 2 to 20 years from the onset of symptoms (memory loss). Decreases life expectancy, but providing adequate care, with emphasis on hygiene and medical care improves quality of life and can survive for many years, both at home and in institutions. Normally his death can not be predicted until very advanced stages. It is very common for Alzheimer's patients lose terminal weight, have difficulty swallowing, walking and talking, as well as urinary and fecal incontinence. Succumb to frequent and repeated urinary infections or bronchopulmonary.Dominican likely to suffer from Alzheimer's

The Dominicans have a three times higher rate of Alzheimer's disease than other groups living in the community of Washington Heights , New York , says a preliminary report of a study carried out among that ethnic group in the United States and its relatives travelers. The data is contained in an article by Columbia University Medical Center, which reports on the study of 350 families with a total of 1,800 people, half of whom had Alzheimer 's disease .Preliminary results of the study have begun to worry the Dominican community in Washington Heights." The Dominicans have a rate three times higher Alzheimer compared with other ethnic groups ," says the publication.The preliminary study described the Dominican community as a relatively homogeneous population and a similar pattern of life. Members of a Dominican family living outside though , are in constant contact, even after immigrating to the United States.Human groups that have been studied are the Hispanic Caribbean , northern Europeans and African Americans.When consulted , the neurologist said Eduardo Yermenos no figures about the population suffering from a disease associated with aging.

In the research project is linked to the medical center at the University of Columbia. The investigation was initiated in 1994 by Dr. Mayeux , who had the motivation to observe elderly located in the northeast of Manhattan , where predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods ." The Dominican population is very concerned about the frequent increase of the disease and its cooperation to gather information, have been of great help to form the basis of the study ," said the information contained in the publication of Columbia University.Such is the concern of researchers, who have moved to the Dominican Republic to focus on the New York borough to investigate the data itself.Currently science studies the causes of Alzheimer late .It is known that the disease affects 4.5 million Americans and is characterized by an early or late onset of memory loss .Most cases of the disease are beginning early genetic type and are caused by a genetic mutation . The late start is responsible for 90 percent of Alzheimer's cases and affects people over 65 years old.Although the country lacks reliable statistics , neurologists believe that 12 percent of the population suffers from Alzheimer's.In Manhattan out investigations of human groups that seem more likely to suffer strokes are also carried .

High incidence of Alzheimer worries Dominican authorities

Dr. Daysi Dominican Acosta , president of the World Association of Alzheimer alerted by its nature highly disabling and expensive , patients with this evil should be covered by the social security system .

According to the Dominican Alzheimer Association , the country has between 400 and 500 thousand people with Alzheimer's or dementia , a figure which , they warned , is growing and has a high cost to the families of these patients.

This represents about five of every 100 people of the Dominican population .

According to the American Association of Alzheimer's, this is a chronic , long- term , degenerative disease of the brain - cells - neurons , progressive and even unknown origin, whose high social impact, both in the patient and primary caregiver family demands the immediate attention of health systems in the world.The world is facing a public health emergency and social care and need immediate action, European experts say .The Dominican Association, founded 17 years ago , is chaired by Dr. Sonia Evelia Pagan.

Transplants tested testosterone hormones to combat Alzheimer'sSydney , Australia - . Australian scientists implanted testosterone hormones in a patient with Alzheimer's as part of a clinical trial at the initial stage seems to give good results.

The researcher Ralph Martins Edith Cowan University in Western Australia state , said the patient, aged 33, showed evidence of memory stabilization and even that has improved since the start of the trials twelve months ago.Martins said on ABC radio that the disease progression of women " basically has been delayed ."He also said that testosterone might be more effective and faster than other treatments used to stop Alzheimer's disease, which causes memory loss .Australian researcher explained that the hormone helps reduce the production of beta- amyloid protein , which contains the brain tissue and is associated with the disease.Scientists announced that they will continue their clinical trials in Alzheimer's patients in other parts of the country .Brain activity prevents AlzheimerPeople who challenge their mind throughout their lives -whether through reading, writing or games are less likely to develop protein deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer 's disease . The most common form of dementia , which occurs most often in people over age 65Alzheimer's is a disease that manifests as impaired consciousness and behavior disorders . Characterized by a progressive loss of memory and other mental abilities . Mental confusion, irritability, aggression , mood changes , slurred speech, loss of long-term memory and a predisposition to isolate the senses as the patient declines appear.The beta amyloid is the protein that is in the plaques of the brains of people with Alzheimer's and could be the initial factor of the disease. People who stay mentally active build brain reserves that allow them to be sharpened even if formed in the brain deposits of a protein called beta amyloid.Brain scans of people with early brain stimulation , which have remained mentally active since childhood and over the course of life, develop fewer amyloid plaques . The early and sustained brain activity may prevent beta-amyloid plaque in the brain forms .The cause of the disease remains unknown. It is an incurable disease with no preventive medication. Scientists believe it began 10 to 15 years before memory problems arise.There are now 36 million people with the disease worldwide and is expected to reach 66 million by 2030 and 115 million in 2050.How brain activity could prevent Alzheimer's? We studied 65 healthy individuals aged 60 years or more. Participants answered a series of questions about how mentally active they had been during different periods of their lives , from age 6 .Among the questions if they used included reading newspapers , going to bookstores, writing letters or emails and play games. They found that people who were more mentally active had lower levels of beta amyloid.Participate in lifelong cognitive activities has greater effect than being cognitively active just in adulthood . Stay mentally active to make more efficient brain, which could have a protective effect.Alzheimer's could be detected early through a blood testHELSINKI , Finland - A group of Finnish researchers has discovered a new system to detect Alzheimer 's disease early by a simple blood test , which could help diagnose the disease several years before the first symptoms appear .As reported in the Technical Research Centre of Finland ( VTT ) , scientists from the agency and the University of Eastern Finland have detected that Alzheimer's is preceded by a " molecular signature" consisting of three metabolites ( molecules produced during metabolism ) .The study, published in the scientific journal " Translational Psychiatry " suggests that the detection of these biomarkers in the blood to distinguish between people with mild memory problems and those that are in the early stages of dementia.Thus, a simple blood test would help identify patients at high risk of developing Alzheimer's , so that preventive measures to slow or even prevent the onset of disease measures could be taken .To establish the clinical work, the team of Finnish scientists analyzed more than two years for blood samples from 226 elderly , of which 46 were healthy individuals , 37 had Alzheimer's and 143 mild cognitive impairment (MCI ) , a stage prior to the dementia.Once completed the follow-up period , 52 of the 143 patients with MCI had developed Alzheimer's .The analysis of blood plasma of these elders revealed that he had changed the chemical composition of their blood, a sign of the changes in your brain."Set the pathogenic relevance of this type of predictive biomarkers may not only facilitate early diagnosis, but can also help identify new therapeutic avenues ," the study authors , led by Professor Matej Oresic .According Oresic , investigation of these chemicals and their relation to the development of Alzheimer's could help create new drugs to combat the disease.Read a book or do puzzles reduce Alzheimer's-related proteinWashington - . Persons who keep the brain active throughout life with cognitively stimulating activities such as reading , writing and games have fewer levels of a protein linked to Alzheimer's disease .According to a study published in the online edition of the journal " Archives of Neurology " , the brain scans revealed that those who have done this type of activity have reduced levels of beta -amyloid , which form the senile plaques in the brain of Alzheimer's patients .Senile plaques are formed due to the accumulation of amyloid beta protein concentrate to form a cluster or impenetrable tangles affecting transmission between nerve cells in the brain .Although previous studies had already suggested that performing mental activities to stimulate the brain may help prevent Alzheimer's disease in adulthood, this new study identifies the biological factor , which may help to design new strategies in treatment."These results point to a new way of thinking about how cognitive engagement throughout life affects the brain ," said one of the lead investigators , William Jagust , a professor at the Institute of Neuroscience , Faculty of Medicine the University of California."Rather than simply providing resistance to Alzheimer's disease, the brain stimulating activities may affect a primary pathological process of the disease," Jagust said.This would indicate that cognitive therapy " could have a major ' switch ' effect of the disease if the benefits of treatment are applied early enough, before symptoms appear ," he said .Alzheimer's is a neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects older adults . Its main symptom is memory loss that degenerates into dementia.The researchers asked 65 healthy adults, cognitively normal older than 60 , to indicate the frequency with which they participated in mental activities such as reading books or newspapers , writing letters or email.The questions focused on various points in life from age 6 to the present.Participants took part in a set of comprehensive measures to assess memory and other cognitive functions and underwent brain scans and a test designed at Berkeley Lab developed to visualize the amyloid neuropsychological tests.The researchers compared the results of the scans of healthy individuals with those of 10 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease and 11 healthy people aged 20 years and found a significant association between higher levels of cognitive activity over a lifetime and about beta amyloid low . levels"This is the first time cognitive activity level is related to the accumulation of amyloid in the brain ," said Susan Landau, researcher Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the Berkeley Lab (California ) ."The accumulation of amyloid probably starts many years before symptoms appear ," he said . "The time for intervention may be much sooner, which is why we are trying to identify whether lifestyle factors might be related to early changes ."

Discover the key role of astrocytes in the formation of the AlzheimerMadrid - . A team led by researchers from the National Research Council (CSIC ) in Spain have discovered that astrocytes , the most abundant cells in the brain have a "key " role in the development of Alzheimer's disease .Until now it was known that brain inflammation associated with the disease is triggered by the action of microglial cells , responsible for the defense of the central nervous system.However, this research has determined that astrocytes also actively involved in the formation of AD because they lag " an essential step " of the inflammatory process .Through genetic engineering , scientists have mimicked the disease in mice and have observed how inflammation occurs, a process related to the production of a type of cytotoxic cytokines - proteins - called , that ends up being harmful to the brain along time."If there is inflammation in astrocytes , the disease does not develop ," says Ignacio Torres German, CSIC researcher at the Cajal Institute and director of the study, which is published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Psychiatry.Since it was discovered , astrocytes were considered supporters of the neuron.But " presently believed that their role is much more active and direct impact on brain function. In addition , its influence on neurodegenerative diseases is gaining relevance . Our observations support this central role , "says the researcher.The work opens the way to design treatments to grab attack the disease , as researchers have confirmed the presence of these same processes in human brains." Anti-inflammatory drugs have been tested in patients with no positive effects. The reason is unclear, but we now know that drugs should selectively fight inflammation of these cells , "says Torres German.Should be prevented from prenatal Alzheimer, says expertLONDON , ENGLAND - . Starting prenatal measures to prevent Alzheimer 's disease through a healthy lifestyle of the mother, and not only in adulthood should be taken, Eef Hogervorst said the research at a scientific meeting in Birmingham ( central England ) .

Around 250 experts in different dementias have gathered at the Annual Conference of Alzheimer's Research , sponsored by the Alzheimer 's Research UK organization , to discuss the latest advances in prevention and treatment .Alzheimer's disease , which causes progressive loss of memory and other mental abilities, is the most common dementia and affects 820,000 people in the UK , representing an annual cost of 23 million pounds ( 27.4 million euros ) .According to biologist and researcher Eef Hogervorst of Loughborough University ( central England ) , strategies to prevent this disease should be applied even before birth .Hogervorst , an expert on the influence of environmental factors during the growth stage in the subsequent development of dementia , stressed " the need for a preventive approach that encompasses all life ."For this research , best measures to prevent Alzheimer's is that they are also good for the heart : stop smoking , healthy eating and avoid alcohol , which benefit especially to women.Staying physically active and mentally has a preventive effect of this disease, although carried out in later life , Hogervorst said during this event , the most important being held in the UK on these neurodegenerative diseases.Other experts also spoke Selina Wray , a researcher at Alzheimer 's Research UK, who presented his study stem cells to decipher the evolution of an inherited form of frontotemporal dementia, which causes aggression and personality disorders in patients under 60 years.According to Wray, in the progress of this disease plays an important role of tau protein, previous studies showed that it is also partly responsible for the onset of Alzheimer's .By studying stem cells, Wray hopes to get more details on this protein that becomes toxic when frontotemporal dementia arises , as well as the molecular processes involved ."If we understand what causes the death of nerve cells as the disease progresses , we begin to find ways to stop it when it has already started ," Wray said.

Bibliography Alzheimer's disease. Robert T. Woods. Editorial Jus. The Internet. There is still much for sharing my experience with Alzheimer's. GRABRIELA Landerreche. Editorial Jus. Mosby Dictionary of Medicine and Health Sciences.