CHEM 183 Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Alois Alzheimer, Neurofibrillary Tangle, Paroxetine

• School: McGill University
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM 183
• Professor: David Noble Harpp, Ariel Fenster, Joseph A Schwarcz

Document Summary

Brain disorder which gradually destroys the ability to reason, remember, imagine, and learn. Marked by abnormal clumps (plaques) and irregular knots of brain cells. Often accompanied by anxiety, depression, and/or paranoia. Affects 1/10 over 65, 1/2 over 85. The # of people suffering from it will double by 2025. Alois alzheimer (1901): first person to look at a brain and find anatomical signs of the disease. He drew pictures of what he saw through microscope: neurofibrillary tangles (alzheimer"s = neurofibrillary tangles + amyloid plaques) Better hygiene linked to higher alzheimer"s risk . Cynics are 3x more likely to develop dementia than those who have faith in humanity. Believing that others are motivated by selfishness, or that they lie to get what they want, appears to radically increase the risk of cognitive decline in later life. University of kentucky: nun study : a group of nuns are donating their brains to science to help fight alzheimer"s disease.