Senile dementia

of the Alzheimer's type (SDAT)

or Alzheimer's Disease (AD)

Kat Boardman
Biology 1
Lab Group A
 What is Alzheimer's Dementia?
This is a neurological disorder that leads to memory
loss. The second most common dementia is
Parkinson's disease. This directly effects your
motor abilities such as unsteady gait. One person
can forget how to do their everyday tasks, and
eventually even who they are. Family members
and friends can appear to be strangers. It is
difficult to know where this comes from and how
it is passed down from parent to offspring.

Research is developing and it is trying to help the care givers of those

with this disease. It effects more than 5 million American's all of
which need help to stay safe.
 What makes this genetic?

Although this disorder effects the proteins in your

brain, some of the relaying causes have been found
on specific chromosomes. If you recall, proteins are
made from a triple codon sequence located on your
DNA. Alzheimer's changes the shapes of these
proteins, and the function of a protein depends on its
structure. These chromosomes are slightly mutated
and pass on to offspring through errors in DNA
duplication.
The 2 types of Alzheimer's
Disease

Less than 10% of people who
suffer from AD have the
Familial AD (FAD)
− This is “early onset” because the
symptoms occur before 50-60yrs
of age

The more common “late onset”
is Sporadic AD (SAD)
− People may live until 70 or 80
without ever showing signs of
this
What chromosomes are linked to AD?


Chromosome 1 (presenilin 2 gene, 1%) (<5%)

Chromosome 10 (glutathione S-transferase, omega-1)

Chromosome 12 (alpha-2-macroglobulin, 30%)

Chromosome 14 (presenilin 1 gene, 50%) (30-70%)

Chromosome 19 (cholesterol transporter apoE, 40%)

Chromosome 21 (amyloid precursor protein APP, 1%)
(10-15%)
− More recent discoveries had been made on

Chromosomes 4, 8, 10. The linkage between chromosome 4 and 8
was not mathematically significant. These influence the age-at-
onset.
Overall, Early and Late onset
Chromosome 4
Chromosome 8
Chromosome 12
Chromosome 19

Chromosome 1
Chromosome 4
Chromosome 8
Chromosome 10
Chromosome 12
Chromosome 14 Chromosome
Chromosome 19 1
Chromosome 21 Chromosome
14
Chromosome
21
 What causes such memory loss?
It is thought that as normal cells divide, the cells in
the brain are trying to as well.

Nerve damage: two main forms

1.neurofibrillary tangles- nerve fibers in the
brain become tangled
-Tangles are twisted fibers from a protein tau
2. Protein (beta amyloid) fragments known as
plaques build up between nerve cells
The tangles and plaques that develop damage the
healthy cells surrounding them.
As the nerve cells die, the ability to transmit
information slows. The buildup of this plaque
takes time to develop. Which is why it occurs
later in life.
Is it possible to find out if I will get
AD? apolipoprotein E – a blood protein whose
function is to transport fatty substances
within the body
It is a potential marker for the cause of AD.
It lays on chromosome 19 and although
through tests it can only be determined if
you carry this gene, particularly its allele
ApoE4; marked with late-onset. Yet
some people who carry this gene do not
develop dementia.
One of the tests done to label this gene is
done by taking a sample of brain tissue,
only done during autopsy. The only
definite diagnosis of this disease lays
within death.
Famous People with Alzheimer's
Ronald Reagan, 40th President
of USA
Harry Ritz, performer
Sugar Ray Robinson, boxer
Norman Rockwell, artist
Simon Scott, actor
Irving Shulman, screenwriter
Betty Schwartz, Olympic gold
medal winner in track events
Kay Swift,composer
Alfred Van Vogt, science fiction
writer
Carroll Campbell, Former
Rebublican Senator
Joyce Chen, chef
Perry Como, Singer entertainer
Aaron Copland, composer
Willem DeKooning, artist
Tom Fears, professional football
player and coach
Louis Feraud, fashion designer
Arlene Francis, actor
Mike Frankovich, film producer
John Douglas French, physician
Barry Goldwater, Senator of
Arizona
 10 Warning Signs for AD
1. Memory loss. Forgetting recently learned information
is one of the most common early signs of dementia.
2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. People with
dementia often find it hard to plan or complete
everyday tasks. Individuals may lose track of the steps
involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call
or playing a game.
3. Problems with language. People with Alzheimer's
disease often forget simple words or substitute
unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to
understand.
4. Disorientation to time and place. People with
Alzheimer's disease can become lost in their own
neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got
there, and not know how to get back home.
5. Poor or decreased judgment. Those with Alzheimer's
may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers on a
warm day or little clothing in the cold. They may
show poor judgment, like giving away large sums of
money to telemarketers.
6. Problems with abstract thinking. Someone with Alzheimer's
disease may have unusual difficulty performing complex
mental tasks, like forgetting what numbers are for and how
they should be used.
7. Misplacing things. A person with Alzheimer's disease may
put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer or a
wristwatch in the sugar bowl.
8. Changes in mood or behavior. Someone with Alzheimer's
disease may show rapid mood swings from calm to tears to
anger for no apparent reason.
9. Changes in personality. The personalities of people with
dementia can change dramatically. They may become
extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a
family member.
10. Loss of initiative. A person with Alzheimer's disease may
become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours,
sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do usual
activities.
 Is there a relationship between AD
and Parkinson's Disease?
NEDD9 gene is in both
neurodegenerative disorders,
Both autosomal dominant prion
protein diseases
Studies show that AD and PD with
family history are more likely
to pass it on
The gene, GSTO1 is involved with
the age-at-onset located on
chromosome 10.
its allele GSTO2 also in regulation
Both dementia's are related to a
loss of nerve cells.
NEDD9 fails to prove as a
means of determination for
these diseases.
GSTO1 is involved in
inflammation, that plays a
role in the brain. Reducing
inflammation may reduce
symptoms. But age-at-onset is
not determined during DNA
duplication, only found once
signs are noticeable.
Conclusion AD and PD are not genetically
related, if your mother had
Alzheimer's it does not make you
more likely to develop
Parkinson's. In less than 10% of
cases it is more likely that you
will develop this disorder if a
family member had it. There is
no test to prove and you are just
as likely to not inherit this. A
doctor will give an answer of you
may or may not. It is unknown.
They do know that it has genetic
tendencies and are looking
further into it.
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