Alzheimer’s Disease

You will have the opportunity to describe the pathophysiology and pharmacological management for a person suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. We would like you to show your understanding by making explicit the links between pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and pharmacological management of your person’s disease. When preparing your presentation, assume that your target audience is health professionals (e.g., nurses, paramedics, midwives; all of which should have roughly the same base knowledge). Your answers to the questions below will be used to grade the ‘depth’, ‘accuracy’, and ‘clarity’ sections of your vodcast assignment (see marking rubric provided at the end of this document). At the beginning of your vodcast, you need to set the scene within the first minute — i.e., tell us about your person, and then proceed to answer the following questions.

You must answer all 3 questions below:

Question 1. Answer both parts (a) and (b).
(a) Identify two brain structures that are particularly severely affected by Alzheimer’s disease and explain their physiological functions.
(b) Define and describe the most important characteristics of dementia, and name three conditions (other than Alzheimer’s disease) that may cause dementia.

Question 2. Answer both parts (a) and (b).
(a) Explain the significance of amyloid-β-plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease.
(b) Describe how the typical morphological changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease are related to its characteristic signs and symptoms.

Question 3.
Explain the mechanism of action of the most common type of medicine used to manage Alzheimer’s disease, and list three strategies to prevent/delay its onset.