Alzheimer's is a common, progressive, and degenerative disease. It causes the loss of memory and other cognitive functions. Dementia occurs often with patients sixty-five and older. This is the gradual loss of mental function.
             People with Alzheimer's have an abnormal deposit of beta amyloid. A combination of this protein and destroyed nerve cells causes plaque. Tangles of nerve fibers are then formed. The elimination of nerve cell connection damages pathways to the brain. These pathways are essential for thinking, learning, and memory.
             Nobody exactly knows what causes Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the disease's factors can help us to learn more about what causes it. The factors that are being investigated now, are the following:
             · Genetic factors involved in the disease
             · The role of beta amyloid and plaques in neurodegeneration
             · The role of tau protein and neurofibrillary tangles in the disease process
             · Neurotransmitter deficiencies and dysfunction in brain cell communication.
             · The effects of inflammation and oxidative stress
             When determining if one has Alzheimer's, the evaluations are as follows:
             · A medical history, this is for the doctors to receive information about current medical or physical conditions, prescription drug intake, and family health history
             · A mental status evaluation, this is to distinguish how efficient your sense of time and place and your ability to remember, understand, communicate, and perform simple tasks
             · A physical examination, this is an evaluation of your nutritional status, blood pressure, and pulse
             · A neurological examination, this is done by performing an MRI that tests the brain for other neurological problems in the nervous system
             · Laboratory tests, these are performed on blood and urine to provide doctors for any other cause of dementia
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