I, personally, have a loved one who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and Dementia. My mother who was once an energetic,

independent, and vibrant woman is now fully dependent on others, experiences short-term memory loss, and no longer has the energy to do the things to which she enjoyed. My mother lives with me and I take care of her.

According to an article published by the Mayo Clinic, which can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/alzheimers-disease/DS00161

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, which is the loss of intellectual and social abilities severe enough tointerfere with daily functioning. Dementia occurs in people with Alzheimer's disease because healthy brain tissue degenerates, causing a steady decline in memory and mental abilities.

About 4 million older Americans have Alzheimer's, a disease that usually develops in people age 65 or older. This number is expected to triple by the year 2050 as the population ages.

Although there's no cure for Alzheimer's disease, researchers have made progress. Treatments are available that improve the quality of life for some people with Alzheimer's. Also, more drugs are being studied, and scientists have discovered several genes associated with Alzheimer's, which may lead to new treatments to block progression of this complex disease.

In the meantime, caring for someone with Alzheimer's takes patience and a focus on the things a person can still do and enjoy.

Those with Alzheimer's — as well as those who care for them — need support and affection from friends and family to cope.

The causes of Alzheimer's are poorly understood, but its effect on brain tissue has been demonstrated clearly. Alzheimer's damages and kills brain cells.

A healthy brain has billions of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons generate electrical and chemical signals that are relayed from neuron to neuron to help you think, remember and feel. Chemicals called neurotransmitters help these signals flow seamlessly between neurons.

Initially in people with Alzheimer's, neurons in certain locations of the brain begin to die. When they die, lower levels of neurotransmitters are produced, creating signaling problems in the brain.

Currently, there's no cure for Alzheimer's disease. Doctors sometimes prescribe drugs to improve symptoms that often accompany Alzheimer's, including sleeplessness, wandering, anxiety, agitation and depression.

Additional information can be found from the following article, which can be found at:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PVY/is_2007_June_13/ai_n21106705?tag=content;col1

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is perhaps one of the best-known illnesses associated with old age. A complex disease of the brain,

Alzheimer's now affects roughly 4.5 million people in the United States, according to the Alzheimer's Association.

As the U.S. population grows older, the number of people with AD is expected to increase. But AD is not a normal or inevitable

part of aging. It is a progressive disease that starts in one part of the brain and gradually invades other regions. As it

progresses, AD destroys nerve cells within the brain and the connections between them, leaving behind clumps of proteins called

plaques and twisted fibers in brain cells called tangles. Over time, this destruction erodes the most vital abilities of human

nature: language, learning, memory and reason. Personality and behavior also are dramatically affected by AD.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common causes of dementia in older people. Dementia is a medical term used to describe

deterioration in thinking ability severe enough to disrupt a person's normal activities and relationships. The disease usually begins

in people 65 or older, but in rare instances it can affect individuals as young as 40. An estimated one in 10 people over 65 have

AD, and close to half of all adults in the United States aged 85 and older are believed to have at least a mild form of the

disease.

There is no evidence that women are at greater risk than men for developing the disease. However, nearly 42,000 women die of

AD each year, more than twice the number of men. This is because women live longer than men so more women have the disease

at any time than men.

Early symptoms of the disease include forgetfulness, difficulty using or remembering words and difficulty concentrating. For

some individuals, these early symptoms of AD may be mistaken for what many people consider "natural" symptoms of aging. But

symptoms caused by AD worsen over time, while the short-term memory problems that trouble many people as they age do not

progress to other more serious symptoms.

The rate that AD symptoms progress varies greatly from person to person. Some people have AD only for the last three years

of life, while others may live with the disease for 20 years.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's often are divided into three phases: mild, moderate and severe, though symptoms in these phases

often overlap. Because Alzheimer's damages the brain, unpredictable and uncharacteristic behavior is common. Anxiety,

aggressiveness or compulsive behaviors—repetitious activities that the person doesn't seem to be able to control or stop—are

also common. Mood swings and irritability are common and can escalate if not treated early. These behavioral patterns typically

change as the disease progresses.

The major risk factor for AD is age. According to the Alzheimer's Association, a person's risk of developing any form of

dementia, including Alzheimer's, doubles approximately every five years after age 65.

Although researchers still don't know for sure what causes Alzheimer's disease, most believe it is related to the abnormal

processing of normal brain proteins, particularly amyloid precursor protein and tau. For some reason, later in life these proteins,

which serve a normal function, begin to be abnormally processed. When this happens, the abnormally processed proteins

assemble themselves into clumps, which interfere with thinking. These clumped proteins are called neurofibrillary tangles and

senile (amyloid) plaques (often simply referred to as tangles and plaques), and eventually destroy critical parts of the brain.

Family history is also a risk factor for AD. For example, early—onset AD, a rare form of the disease that strikes people

between the ages of 30 and 60, is often inherited. So far, only one genetic factor has been identified that makes late-stage AD

more likely—a gene that makes a particular form of a protein called apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Fifteen percent of the population

has this form of ApoE.

Other theories link the disease's development to the death of cells critical for maintaining levels of certain brain chemicals

required for normal thought processes; chronic inflammation; accumulation of heavy metals in the brain; and vascular factors that

affect the health of blood vessels in the brain. Another potential risk factor is severe head injury.

In addition, scientists are investigating the role of education, diet and environment in AD. They are also looking into the link

between the risk factors of heart disease—such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and low levels of folate—and AD. On

the positive side, there is some evidence that higher levels of education early in life and more social, mental and physical

activities in older age may help prevent the disease.

I am fighting for funding and government commitment toward effective treatmemt and ultimately toward the cure.