Forgetfulness or Something More?

 

Alzheimers is a very interesting disease that hits very close to home, because rather than learning it in a text book I see it everyday in my little grandmother. The thing is while being around it my family can of course see the signs and her progressively getting worse, but I guess I never really understood what it meant for her brain and what is happening chemically. It was as if the only important information was that she had it and that there isn't anything anyone could do about it except "slow it down". I never understood what that meant till now,simplified when a person has alzheimers amyloid accumulates both inside and outside the neurons which damages dendritic spines, decreases synaptic input and decreases plasticity. This all causes plaque to build up which cause major parts of the brain to waste away. And if that wasn't enough the amyloid also cause more phosphate groups to attach attach to tau proteins, meaning they can't attach to their usual targets within axons. "Slowing it down" would most likely refer to giving my grandmother medication that stimulate her acetylcholine receptors.



 

But when I look at my grandmother I don't see whats happening to her brain but her behavior and her inability to remember what our family did last easter. I see the look on my family's faces when they have to answer the same question five different times, or when she does the same action over and over again because she is sure she didn't just wash that dish. Or the feeling I get when she looks at me and can't remember if I am me or my aunt. And knowing that its going to get worse, and "slowing it down" won't be an option anymore, its waiting game of how long she can hold onto what little memory she has left.