Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain: A Review of Current Etiology and Treatments
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i3.3494Keywords:
Alzheimer's disease, dementiaAbstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is currently one of the leading causes of death in the United States, and it continues to kill more patients every year. Although it is believed to have many different contributing causes, one of the main hypotheses is that unhealthy build-up of proteins in the brain blocks signaling and degrades neurons. Unfortunately, no current treatment is capable of preventing this build-up or reversing its effects. However, four treatment options exist to combat a different contributor to the disease's onset: acetylcholine inhibition. Cholinesterase inhibitors work by preventing the enzyme, cholinesterase, from breaking down acetylcholine, a chemical messenger with an important role in memory and learning that is more scarce in patients with Alzheimer’s. Memantine is used alongside cholinesterase inhibitors, and it prevents the N-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor from overactivating and causing neuron death. Though cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine are helpful medications for those suffering from AD, they do not stop progression of the disease or reverse the damage. This article will review the current research on AD and what it reveals about known causes and treatments.
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