ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Irene Pérez García 1ºB

EL ALZHEIMER

• La enfermedad de Alzheimer es una patología neurodegenerativa cerebral, progresiva e irreversible que afecta de forma difusa a las neuronas de la corteza cerebral y otras estructuras adyacentes, y lleva a una degeneración de la función cognitiva y a trastornos conductuales.

• It was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906.

• Is the most common form of dementia, there is no cure for the disease which appears in people older than 65 years.

• The most common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events and other mental capacities, when the neurons died and some parts of the brain don’t work properly.

• On average, the life expectancy following diagnosis is approximately seven years.

SYMPTOM

• In the early stages, the most common symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events, often mistakenly thought to be 'age-related' concerns, or manifestations of stress. The diagnosis is usually confirmed with tests that evaluate behaviour and thinking abilities

• As the disease advances, symptoms can include confusion, irritability, aggression, mood swings, trouble with language, and long-term memory loss. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death.

TREATMENT

• Nowadays, a new vaccine is been tested against alzheimer.

• Its goal is stop the main brain injury, the production of amyloid patchs.

• The vaccine would produce antibodies for eliminating “beta amyloid 40 and 42” that made the brain neurodegeneration.

• The test will be make in Austria, where 48 patients will taste it.

• Although the vaccine is accepted it won’t be in the market at least 6 years.

• Presently, there are treatments that try to reduce the progression of the disease.

TREATMENT

-Delay the progress of the disease

• The progress could be faster or slower depending on the family setting.

-Pharmaceutical

-Psychosocial intervention

• This attempt to identify and reduce the antecedents and consequences of problem behaviours.

BRAINS

PARKINSON DISEASE

Irene Pérez García 1ºB

PARKINSON

• Parkinson is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, that result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain.

• It appears in people older than 60 years, but there is also another type of Parkinson that appears in people younger than 40 years.

• The disease is named after the English doctor James Parkinson published the first detailed description in1817.

SYMPTOM

• You can say that someone has parkinson if he has two or more of these characteristics:

-Tremor-Muscle rigidity-Bradykinesia (slowness of movement)

-Postural instability

TREATMENT

• There is no cure for Parkinson's disease, but medications, surgery and multidisciplinary management can provide relief from the symptoms.

• In the initial, when the symptoms are mild, we use the less powerful medicine. In the grave cases we use levodopova, the most powerful medicine to the treatment of this disease.

TREATMENT

-Pharmaceutical

•Levodopa; Bromocriptina and pergolida; Selegilina; Anticolinérgicos; Amantadina.

-Surgical

•The surgery wants to act in the damage part of the brain. It’s only recommended in the 5% of the patients, when the functional disability is very serious.

TREATMENT

-Rehabilitation

•This is one of the most important treatments, regular physical exercise with or without physiotherapy. There are also some specific exercises that help to reinforce the muscles that had been affect.