Imagine living without a sense of who you are, who you used to be, and who your loved ones are. Your soul eroding away bit by bit until there is nothing left but a shell.
Alzheimer's disease is the culprit here.
Alzheimer's is a disease characterized by memory loss and impaired reasoning. It’s scary because there is no cure. Once a person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's, there’s no way out since it progressively gets worse until he/she loses most of the memories. Many drugs have been developed to slow down the progression, but they are ineffective in the long run as the patient’s brain rapidly changes. Therefore it’s important to know what Alzheimer’s is and how to avoid it. This article will focus on the mechanism behind Alzheimer’s and its prevention methods.
What Causes Alzheimer's?
In a healthy human brain, millions of neurons transmit signals to one another. These signals cause the chemicals at the end of the neuron to be released and spread across the synapse to a neighboring neuron. This flow of signals is why we are able to see, move, think, feel, and memorize. However, neurons stop communicating when the person has Alzheimer's.
During communication, neurons release small peptides called amyloid beta. Normally, amyloid beta is cleared away by microglia, which regulates the release of chemicals and phagocytizes waste products. However, when too much is released or not enough is cleared away, amyloid beta begins to pile up in the synapse, forming amyloid plaques. These amyloid plaques are dangerous because they hinder the communication between neurons. They also cause microglia to become hyperactivated and induce inflammation.
Another marker for Alzheimer’s Disease is tau tangles. Tau is found inside neurons and is involved in maintaining neuron structure. However, abnormal chemical changes in Alzheimer's brain cause tau to stick to other tau molecules, forming threads that join together to create massive tangles. These tangles damage the structure of neurons, thus making it hard for neurons to support themselves.
How Does Alzheimer's Spread in the Brain?
Alzheimer's usually begins in the epidural cortex and hippocampus, the parts of the brain that consolidate memory. This is why the early symptoms of Alzheimer's are frequent forgetfulness. At this stage, the person will start asking questions about where they put their phones, or whether they haven't had lunch yet. Next, the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for language, reasoning, and social behavior, is damaged. The brain can no longer function properly and the person may have to rely entirely on others to perform basic tasks.
How Do We Prevent Alzheimer's?
Sleep
Research by NIH has found that people in their 50s and 60s who didn’t sleep enough (less than 6 hours) were more likely to develop Alzheimer's later in life. This is because if we don’t sleep enough, amyloid beta plaques and other harmful fluids can’t get cleared away by glial cells.
2. Brain exercise
People who engage in mentally stimulating activities are less likely to develop Alzheimer's. This is because they can build many neural connections by learning new things. So even if they have a disease like Alzheimer's and damaged synapses, they have plenty of other synapses they can rely on to remember something.
Conclusion
Finding a cure for Alzheimer’s will be one of the greatest breakthroughs in human history. It will be worthy of a novel prize. However, even if the cure develops one day, we need to acknowledge that the best way is not to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the first place. Changing simple habits, such as going to bed a few hours early, will make a difference. It’s never too early to start now.
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