Christine LeeG/T Independent ResearchHoward High schoolDr.Celise Elliott and Dr.Samir Sauma, NIA

Objective• Gain understanding of the Alzheimer’s disease

Causes and SymptomsStatistics

• Explore the various preventive methods of Alzheimer’s and the ways they can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s

• Explore how to incorporate the methods into your lifestyle

Alzheimer’s Statistics6th leading cause of death in the U.S.the number of people diagnosed with

Alzheimer’s will triple by 2050Dementia (including Alzheimer's) is the most

expensive disease in the nation- caring expenses costs the nation billions annually

2/3 people diagnosed with the disease are women

Every 67 seconds someone in US develops the disease

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?discovered by Dr.Alois Alzheimer in 1960neurological disease that affects memory, behavior, and

emotions due to the degeneration of the brain characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary

tangles in the brain tissue mental symptoms: unpredictable behavior and memory

lossoften mistaken for dementia which is a broader

category of cognitive decline characterized by loss of memory and mental abilities due to physical deterioration of the brain

cure for AD is yet to be discovered

Risk Factors of Alzheimer'sNeurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques-

damage in the neurons that inhibit neural signals Common pathology in Alzheimer's patients

Inheritance of apolipoprotein gene- gene commonly found in Alzheimer's patients

Brain atrophy- decrease in the mass of the brain due to the degeneration of neurons

Vascular diseases- vascular dementia is the result of the lack of blood flow to the brain

Mild Cognitive Impairment- slight decline in cognitive abilities such as memory and thinking skills

PET Scan of Decline in Brain Activity

Preventive MethodsMediterranean dietPhysical exercisesCognitive activities

Mediterranean dietfish, vegetable, fruits, whole grains, legume

(beans) moderate amounts of alcohol, unsaturated fat

Low consumption of saturated fats and meatSome omega-3 fatty acids in fish have the

ability to reduce beta-amyloid plaquesMostly supported by studies- continuing

research

Physical exercisesIncrease the amount of blood supply carried to the

brainCarries oxygen and other nutrientsWashes away metabolic wastes such as amyloid-

beta proteinIncrease number of connections between nerve cells-

stimulates various parts of the brainAble to maintain old network connections while

making new ones

Cognitive activitiessolving puzzles, playing mentally challenging

games, reading, planning, etc.Studies reveal relationships between greater

performance of cognitive activities and lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease

Can possibly increase the number of brain networks and brain plasticity

Your Turn!Lock ----Piano Ship ---- Card Tree ---- Car School ----  EyePillow ----  CourtRiver ---- MoneyBed ---- PaperArmy ---- WaterTennis ---- Noise

KeyDeckTrunkPupilCaseBankSheetTankRacket

Research ProcessAnalyzed primary documents of studies on

the various factors that contribute to the development of the Alzheimer’s

Organized the information in a graphic organizer

Compared the relationship of the preventive methods and the risk factors of Alzheimer’s disease

Analyzed patterns revealed in the relationships

RecapAlzheimer’s is one of the nation’s most

common and most expensive illnesses todayThere are various risk factors of Alzheimer’s

that can indicate or predict the development of Alzheimer’s

There are preventive methods that can be utilized in order to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by reducing the presence of risk factors of Alzheimer’s

ConclusionEducate others about Alzheimer’s Let other’s around you know about how they

can take part in preventing the diseaseAdults can reduce the risk of late-onset

Alzheimer’s by incorporating the Mediterranean diet, physical exercises, and cognitive exercises

Early diagnosis is an important process of the treatment of the disease

Work Cited http://

washu.spoonuniversity.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/04/Question-Mark-made-of-Food_Borders2.jpg

http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2008/02/09/brain-teaser-words-in-your-brain-learn-as-you-exercise/

http://www.womensheart.org/content/nutrition/mediterranean.asp http://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2014/01/train-mind-analytica

l-thinking/

http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/preventing-alzheimers-disease/search-alzheimers-prevention-strategies

http://washu.spoonuniversity.com/food-thought/5-foods-with-freaky-origins/

https://dribbble.com/krislamchin http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/

2009/07/14_alzheimers.shtml http://www.noonlife.com/7-not-so-obvious-benefits-of-physical-

exercise/