Date: September 5, 2022.
Do you remember your first birthday, the first present you got from your parents, the first day of your school, the first friend you made, the first time you started eating on your own, the first time you started tying your shoelaces, the first time you went out to play with your friends, the first time you learned how to read, how to write, how to ride a cycle, the first time you picked up a hobby, the first trip you went to, the day you got your own room, your first crush, your first love, your first heartbreak, the first time you went on a sleepover at your friend’s house, the first time you took the public transport on your own, your last day of school, the first day of college, the day you got your driving license, the day you graduated, your first part-time job, your first interview, your first rejection, your first full-time job, the day you bought your own car, the day you started taking care of your parents and taking over responsibilities and they started relying on you, the day you got married, the day you became a parent, the day you bought a new house, your first family trip, the childhood of your kids, your little achievements that you made in your lifetime . . .
It is inevitable that things will change as you grow up. A few of them are noticeable but most are subtle. You are not who you were when you were a child, a teenager, a 20-year-old, or a 30-year-old. Throughout your life, you change. Time, circumstances, and your environment all affect you. Change is your only constant. You capture the moments as you continue living them, so that one day when you look back, you can remember how the times were, how the feeling was, the feeling of nostalgia. Memories are something we cherish and preserve for a lifetime. It is the evidence of our existence.
Imagine, one day you wake up and lose your memories. You start forgetting the things around you, the people around you and eventually yourself . . .
This is Dementia, caused by Alzheimer’s disease in 60–80% of cases.
An Alzheimer’s patient’s brain: a peek inside.
Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease. It can be categorized as Sporadic (90–95% cases, late onset) and Familial (5–10% cases and early onset). Protein plaques and neurofibrillary tangles form inside the brain, especially in the cortex region, causing brain atrophy (shrinkage).
In the cell membrane of a neuron, there are proteins called amyloid precursor protein (APP), which help the neurons to grow and repair after an injury. When they are metabolized by alpha-secretase and gamma-secretase enzymes, they form soluble products, which are then eliminated. But when instead of the alpha-secretase enzyme, beta-secretase accompanies gamma-secretase, they form insoluble metabolites which are sticky, and these amyloid beta monomers aggregate together to form plaques. These plaques disrupt neuron signaling that impairs brain functions and induces immune reactions that cause the destruction of neurons.
Furthermore, inside the neuron, the tau proteins are present in the microtubules, which hold the cytoskeleton intact and transport nutrients. But, when the enzyme, kinase transfers phosphate to the tau protein, it changes its shape and stops supporting the microtubule, making clumps called neurofibrillary tangles, which causes the neurons to undergo apoptosis (programmed cell death).
As these plaques and tangles advance in different regions of the brain, they show different signs and symptoms. Apart from plaques and tangles, there are few genes, as well as genetic mutations that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. However, this domain is so intensely studied and extensively researched that it was nearly impossible to cover all facets.
Journey through stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
They first build up in the hippocampus region which leads to short-term memory losses. In the next stage, they destroy the ability to logically think, induce mood swings, cause paranoia and hallucinations, and loss of motor skills. Later when they enter the rear region of the brain, they cause long-term memory loss. Eventually, the patient becomes disoriented and bedridden. In a sense, this disease slowly erodes your conscious existence out of your brain.
Alzheimer’s affects more than just neurons; it also destroys our sense of self.
Even though I have attempted to illuminate a few features of Alzheimer’s disease, it is totally out of the question to discuss all of its aspects in a brief blog post.
Over a century after it was discovered in 1906, discoveries are still being made about its pathophysiology, diagnostic tools, preventive and symptomatic treatments, vaccinations that target different proteins, lifestyle changes, dietary supplements, and modifications. In conjunction with these advancements, scientific and technological breakthroughs are progressively made toward one global goal of curing this forlorn disease, Alzheimer’s. Humanity, collectively, hopes to inscribe this disease in the history of health revolutions as a forgotten illness.
Author’s note: The ticket to the future is a blank sheet, make as many memories as possible, acknowledge the people around you, show gratitude, show love, show support, show kindness . . . make your existence on this planet, a remarkable one!
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