What happens in the brain of an alzheimer s patient

What is happening in the brain of an Alzheimer's patient to cause all of the unpleasant cognitive and behavioral symptoms of the sickness? Alois Alzheimer was the first to find the strange plaques and tangles characteristic of the sickness in the brain of one of his patients during an autopsy. He gave his name to the sickness despite the contribution his associate Emil Kraepelin made by isolating and identifying the symptoms of the disease. For years, Alzheimer's disease could only be diagnosed with a high degree of accuracy post-mortem. Now researchers are learning more about what exactly is happening in the brain to cause the sickness and why those strange plaques and tangles develop in the first place. Neurofibrillary tangles are one characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. Brain damage occurs as a result of neurons being clogged with microscopic filaments, which are made up of an abnormal type of Tau protein. Normally functioning Tau protein sends chemical messages from neuron to neuron by bonding to microtubules, while the type of Tau protein found in an Alzheimer's disease brain bonds with itself and goes nowhere. Clogged neurons are no longer able to do their job and pass along the impulses they receive from the environment; therefore, disabled neurons are one cause of the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease. Brain damage due to neurofibrillary tangles is also found in associated diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Scientists aren't sure why the Tau protein malfunctions and causes the tangles. Some researchers believe that Tau malfunctions as a result of beta amyloid protein, which is what causes the second form of damage in an Alzheimer's disease brain-plaques between neurons. Senile plaque, which is considered to be the more detrimental of the two abnormalities in an Alzheimer's disease brain, consists of large, abnormal, sticky patches containing beta amyloid protein. These patches block communication between neurons, causing the learning and memory problems consistent with the cognitive impairment associated with Alzheimer's disease. The more plaque there is in the brain, the worse the impairment becomes because plaque is thought to interfere with the functioning of acetylcholine, which transmits nerve impulses in the brain and body. The only FDA-approved medications used to treat Alzheimer's are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which block the enzymes that eat away at acetylcholine. These medications work best, however, in the earliest stages of the disease before the amount of plaque in an Alzheimer's disease brain has caused considerable damage. Recent research has begun to clarify the possible cause-and-effect connection between plaques and tangles. A study that used proteins from the immune system of mice to get rid of the beta amyloid that causes plaque discovered that the proteins ate away at the tangles as well. Other medications used to lower levels of beta amyloid also worked on the tangles. Some researchers believe that plaques and tangles may themselves be the result of some other disease process in the brain, such as swollen axons. In research done on mice that were genetically engineered to have a disease similar to Alzheimer's, the swollen axons, which are important in communicating between neurons, caused a "traffic" jam of sorts that may, over time, lead to the neuronal degeneration, plaques and tangles apparent in the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Researchers hope that, by focusing on the disease process in the brain of Alzheimer's patients, they can one day find a cause and, ultimately, a cure for the sickness. This article is Copyright © 2006, Heather Colman. Permission is granted to reprint this article as long as no changes are made, and this entire resource box is included.

How to concentrate in 4 magic steps

One of the main problems that deter a person's success is their lack of concentration. Lapses encourage disturbances to get in the way and stall progress. If ones wishes to proceed on their road to success, it is imperative they learn how to concentrate. Here, we show you some easy to learn exercises that are easy to implement. 1) Silence or Noise: Most people cannot concentrate when it is too noisy, but others work better with music or others in the midst of a crowded room. If you are not aware as yet what best suits you, then try out the different environments. How? Take a notepad and a pencil or pen with you and try and write down a letter in all the three circumstances in a set amount of time. Ten minutes. That is all you will need to determine where your source of concentration lies. How? Check not only for length but also for development as that is more important. 2) Focal Point: Every morning, before you leave for work or on the way, stare at any object for ten minutes. You can do this while in the toilet, car or bus. You will find this difficult, but whatever happens, do not move your gaze away. Hold it. Wait. And then, as the minutes pass you will find yourself deeply meditating about things that happened to you yesterday or challenges you have to face in a few minutes. Congratulations. You have just conquered the art of meditation. 3) Deep Breathing: In the beginning, you can do this while staring at the object from tip number two, but if you wish to move towards real concentration, do this separetly. Sit down on the floor. If its hard, place a cushion. Close your eyes. Breathe. Count the number of inhales. When you have reached 100, start counting backwards but this time count the exhales. Mastering this will take you a while, but once you do move on to other kinds of mathemathical calculations such as naming the months of the year from December backwards or alphabetically. After that, make up exercises as you like. 4) Movement: Focus on an animal: cat, dog or even ant or bird. Follow their every movement as if they exist in a vaccumm. Study every tiny spot on their body. The point of this is to learn how to diversify your concentration in such a way that movement does not deter you from your goal. Conclusion: Practice the above four tips and like magic, you will start enjoying life to its fullest because you will be able to focus on the things you want to focus on and disregard those that disrupt. Practive the above tips daily and you will be that much more closer to achieving your dreams and goals. Best of Luck!

Casino en ligne non stop quels jeux jouer

Pour un bref rappel, ces derniers peuvent кtre rйpartis en trois catйgories. On y distingue les jeux flash, а tйlйcharger ou en direct . Les jeux de casinos sont les jeux de paris en ligne les plus populaires en raison des gains que l'on peut y remporter. Mais quels sont les plus rentables? Casinos directement sur server: Il s'agit de plusieurs sites surlesquels les joueurs et les utilisateurs peuvent jouer aux jeux de casinos tels le Bingo, Black Jack, Baccarat, Poker et bien d'autres encore, ne nйcйssitant pas de tйlйchargement prйalable d'un logiciel particulier, puisque ces derniers vous sont proposes sur Macromedia Flash, Macromedia Shockwave, ou Java, dйjа intйgrйs sur votre browser. Ces derniers sont les plus populaires. Casinos en Ligne A Tйlйcharger : Mкme principe que le prйcйdent. Toutefois, pour avoir accиs aux diffйrents jeux, l'utilisateur doit tйlйcharger le logiciel du casino sur son ordinateur. Bien que la qualitй soit gйnйralement meilleure au niveau des graphismes, le tйlйchargement a pour inconvйnient de prendre йnormйment de place sur le disque dur. Le logiciel est directement reliй au service du casino sans avoir besoin de recourir browser. Ainsi, l'image et le son fonctionnent beaucoup plus rapidement que sur le support reliй au server de l'ordinateur. Toutefois, le temps de tйlйchargement initial peut кtre trиs long. Les casinos "en Direct": Reprйsentent le top de casinos en ligne. Ces derniers permettent aux joueurs d'кtre face а une interface mondiale et directement avec le casino, comme si vous y йtiez! Le joueur peut intervenir а tout moment et se confronter n'importe quand а d'autres joueurs et ce sur plusieurs de poker, blackjack et autres tables grвce а la prйsence de fenкtres windows. C qui le diffйrencie des autres? Le joueur a la possibilitй de choisir les meilleurs tables, de varier ses plaisirs en cours de parties et de joueur sans se lasser toute la nuit. On distingue donc les jeux populaires suivants: Les jeux de cartes: Asian stud, Baccarat , Blackjack, Casino war, Caribbean Stud Poker, Chinese poker, Faro, Four card poker, Let It Ride, Mambo stud, Pai gow poker, Red Dog, Spanish 21, Texas Hold'em Bonus Poker, Three card poker, Two-up. Ces jeux sont gйnйralement considйrйs comme des jeux de Tables et se jouent sur un tapis feutrй. Un croupier est toujours prйsents pour ces jeux puisque ce dernier est en charge de la distribution des cartes. Dйs: Craps, Pai Gow, Sic bo, Chuck-a-luck Nombres Alйatoires: Big Six wheel, Roulette, Bingo, Keno et bien d'autres encore. Ces jeux sont basйs sur le fruit du pur hasard. Sans oublier les fameuses Machines A Sous, les Loteries et les Vidйo Poker. Ces derniиres ne peuvent кtre jouйes que par un joueur а la fois et ne demande aucune exigence particuliиre ni aucune stratйgie. C'est pourquoi il est l'un des jeux les plus prisйs aussi bien en ligne qu'en cercle virtuel. Les jeux en ligne cependant offrent aux joueurs des avantages а long terme supйrieurs а ceux offerts par des casinos rйels et leur donnent la sensation de toujours garder le contrфle sur leurs jeux et d'кtre responsable de leurs choix.

Walking the walk for aids

UNAIDS estimates that more than 37 million adults and 2 million children are infected with HIV worldwide. The AIDS epidemic has hit the hardest in sub-Saharan Africa, where 75 percent of the women ages 15 to 24 are infected. Closer to home, 40,000 people per year in the U. S. are infected, more than half of whom are African-American women. The latter group by itself accounts for 72 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in women. In the face of these overwhelming statistics, what can be done? Some corporations are making a difference with contributions to charities supporting the cause and helping in other ways. For example, Roche, a pharmaceutical company that developed the HIV protease inhibitors Invirase and Viracept, has not filed any patents for its medicines - including those for HIV/AIDS - in the least-developed nations and sub-Saharan Africa. This means that these countries, which are devastated by the epidemic, can manufacture and sell cheap, generic versions of the drugs without waiting for the patents to expire. The company also is dedicated to increasing awareness of the illnesses. "Roche is committed to driving social responsibility programs that increase awareness and combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic at the local and international level," said George Abercrombie, president and CEO, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., the U. S. pharmaceuticals headquarters of Roche. Beyond this, Roche and its employees are working more directly to address the problem through the company's annual Global Employee AIDS Walk in observance of World AIDS Day. Roche employees have been participating in the walk for more than two years. In December 2005, more than 11,000 employees from 85 affiliates in 42 countries walked to raise funds for AIDS organizations. The money raised through their pledges was matched by the company. Some of the funds are distributed to local HIV/AIDS organizations. In New Jersey, for example, funds will go to the NJ AIDS Partnership. The rest goes to children in Malawi, Africa, who have been orphaned by AIDS. The money goes to buy everything from food and clean water to shelter, books and sewing machines. HIV is spread by sexual contact with an infected person, by sharing needles or syringes with someone who is infected or - less commonly - through transfusions of infected blood. Babies of HIV-infected women may become infected before or during birth or through breast feeding.