Introduction
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes a gradual and irreversible decline in memory, language skills, perception of time and space, and, eventually, the ability to care for oneself. First described by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer in 1906, Alzheimer’s disease was initially thought to be a rare condition affecting only young people, and was referred to as presenile dementia. Today late-onset Alzheimer’s disease is recognized as the most common cause of the loss of mental function in those aged 65 and over. According to latest research Alzheimer’s in people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, called early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, occurs much less frequently, accounting for less than 10 percent of the estimated 4 million Alzheimer’s cases in the United States (Daniel, 2003).
Although Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of the aging process, the risk of developing the disease increases as people grow older. About 10 percent of the United States population over the age of 65 is affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and nearly 50 percent of those over age 85 may have the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease takes a devastating toll, not only on the patients, but also on those who love and care for them. Some patients experience immense fear and frustration as they struggle with once commonplace tasks and slowly lose their independence (Daniel, 2003).
Current Research
Nerve growth factors
One promising drug that reached human clinical testing stimulated production of nerve growth factors, proteins that regulate nerve cell maturation, survival, and repair. Nerve growth factors are an active area of research in stroke, spinal cord injury, and other nerve-damaging conditions as well as in Alzheimer’s disease (William, 2004).
Memantine, an Alzheimer drug already approved in Germany that recently won preliminary approval in the rest of the European Union, is now under development in the United States where it has reached Phase III trials.....
