Mentor/s
Dr. Mark Jareb Dr. Barbara Pierce
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is unique in that multiple paths can lead to its manifestation. There are numerous risk factors that increase the susceptibility to AD and a vast number of combinations may lead to its acquisition. Additionally, the underlying mechanism by which the illness manifests itself could possibly differ amongst varying patients. It is my contention that early on-set Alzheimer’s can be categorized as a unique illness in respect to late on-set AD, due to vastly different etiologies although symptoms are similar. It will be demonstrated that early on-set AD is largely a genetically based etiology with little that can be done for prevention. Late on-set AD however, tends to be due to chronic environmental factors which preventative measures could have avoided. In addition, just as there is a need to have fuller characterization of Dementia I will defend the position that the treatment of AD as the more general term of two more precise illnesses is beneficial and the ethical repercussions that would follow. Lastly, the position for maintaining the illness characterized as a singular one will also be defended and its ethical consequences. It is important to stress that in no fashion does this paper take the position that genetics and the environment do not play roles in both illnesses but rather that they play roles of varying importance in each.
College and Major available
Biology
Location
Panel C: UC 107
Start Day/Time
4-21-2017 2:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-21-2017 3:15 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.
Alzheimer's: A Tale of Two Diseases
Panel C: UC 107
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is unique in that multiple paths can lead to its manifestation. There are numerous risk factors that increase the susceptibility to AD and a vast number of combinations may lead to its acquisition. Additionally, the underlying mechanism by which the illness manifests itself could possibly differ amongst varying patients. It is my contention that early on-set Alzheimer’s can be categorized as a unique illness in respect to late on-set AD, due to vastly different etiologies although symptoms are similar. It will be demonstrated that early on-set AD is largely a genetically based etiology with little that can be done for prevention. Late on-set AD however, tends to be due to chronic environmental factors which preventative measures could have avoided. In addition, just as there is a need to have fuller characterization of Dementia I will defend the position that the treatment of AD as the more general term of two more precise illnesses is beneficial and the ethical repercussions that would follow. Lastly, the position for maintaining the illness characterized as a singular one will also be defended and its ethical consequences. It is important to stress that in no fashion does this paper take the position that genetics and the environment do not play roles in both illnesses but rather that they play roles of varying importance in each.
