While going through Alzheimer’s disease, many nerve cells in the brain die. These cells are very important for memory and other abilities. There are three stages of Alzheimer’s. They are the early-to-mild stage, the moderate stage, and the severe stage. In the early-to-mild stage the cells in the brain begin to die in an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is near the center of the cerebral hemispheres. The hippocampus records the memory of a person, so when cells in there die, that person begins to lose their memory. Later, the cells begin to die in the temporal lobe. In the early-to-mild stage someone will lose their short-term memory and their language, or ability to speak will decrease. However the other abilities in the brain such as long-term memory, senses, ambulation, judgment and reasoning, social skills, and complex tasks remain the same as they were before the disease. In the moderate stage, the disease runs through and destroys cells in the parietal lobes. Also, the language decreases more, and the ability to do complex tasks and social skills decrease. In the severe stage, the destruction moves to the frontal lobes. By this stage, the long-term memory, ambulation, judgment and reasoning, social skills, and the ability to do complex tasks have all decreased. The only ability that is the same as before the disease is the senses. Language has been completely destroyed. Many people have died while having Alzheimer’s disease.
Although it has not been 100% proven, there are many reasons why scientists and doctors believe that aluminum may be one, but not the only cause of Alzheimer’s. One reason is because during autopsies of some Alzheimer’s patients, two to four times the average level of aluminum was found in their brain. Also, symptoms to aluminum toxicity are loss of memory and problems with speaking, which are also symptoms of Alzheimer’s. If aluminum is a cause of Alzheimer’s, it is most likely not the only one, but there is still not a definite cause of the disease.
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Brumback, Roger A., Callone, Patricia R., Kudlacek, Connie, Maternach, Janaan, Vasiloff, Barbara C., A Caregiver’s Guide to Alzheimer’s Disease, 300 Tips for Making Life Easier, New York, New York, Demos Medical Publication, 2006
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