Jacques' Homepage

Jacques' Homepage

Major: Business Management
My favorite thing about college is the freedom to choose what I want to do.
My favorite food is Mexican food.
My favorite band or artist is JA Rule.
I am most proud of my excelling in golf.
Ten years from I would like to be playing professional golf on the PGA tour.

My favorite quotation is "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for everything".
I think the most important thing that needs change in the world today is, friendships with fellow Counties, there is no need for all this war.

A Neuroscience Topic That Interests Me....

Alzheimer's Disease

My whole life Alzheimer's disease has been an important topic in our family. Three years before I was born my father's mother was diagnosed with the disease. From that day on her life changed forever. Even though many people suffer and die from it, there has been no cure found for the disease.

A common question among people is what is Alzheimer's disease? Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of the loss of mental function know broadly as dementia. This type of dementia proceeds in stages, gradually destroying memory, reason, judgment, language, and eventually the ability to carry out even the simplest tasks.

Alzheimer's disease is the term used to describe a dementing disorder marked by certain brain changes, regardless of the age of onset. Dementia is a condition resulting in significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging; it is not something that inevitably happens in later life. Rather, it is on of the dementing disorders, a group of brain diseases that lead to the loss of mental and physical functions. The disorder, whose cause is unknown, affects a small but significant percentage of older Americans.

According to the American Academy of Neurology here are some warning signs of the disease: memory loss that affects job skills, language problems, getting lost, or being disoriented as to time and place, poor judgment, and changes in mood and behavior.

Originally described by Alois Alzheimer in 1907, Alzheimer's disease has emerged as the most common type of dementia in the elderly today. Although the definitive diagnosis of the disease requires histological conformation, in the absence of a readily discernable cause the clinician may establish the diagnosis ante mortem, with a fair degree of certainty, based on the clinical findings of a gradually progressive cognitive decline that results in the loss of memory.
As the aging population continues to grow at a vigorous pace, it becomes increasingly important to recognize the clinical spectrum of Alzheimer's disease because of the possible benefit of medical intervention and its tremendous impact on society. The cost of caring for patients with the disease in the U.S. has been estimated to be $100 billion annually and climbing. In recent years, research studies have made major advances in our understanding of the histopathogenesis, genetic risk factors and treatment options for this devastating neurodegenerative disease.

When I was 11 years old my grandmother unfortunately passed away due to the disease. She had suffered from it for 14 years, and her time was up. After having this experience, I hope no one else has to go through what my family went through. Even though I have no memories of the woman, I know she is still part of my heart.

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