Relating Down Syndrome and Alzheimer. Down Syndrome

Relating Down Syndrome and Alzheimer
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Relating Down Syndrome and Alzheimer
Introduction
The Down’s syndrome (DS) was first identified by Langdon Down in 1866 and described as a major cause of intellectual disability with pre disposal characteristics such as immune deficiency, delayed cognitive development and facial deformities. DS is a genetic disorder that results in an individual having three 21st chromosomes instead of the normal two. Incidences of DS in live births are approximately 1 in every 750 and the condition’s cause is yet to be diagnosed. The terms dementia or Alzheimer are used interchangeably although there are distinct differences. Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease which is a common cause of dementia and accounts for between 60 to 80 % of dementia cases characteristic of two brain structures called tangles which are twisted protein fibers that build up inside cells and plaques which are deposits of protein fragments that kill nerves. The abilities of people suffering from DS vary and each individual has unique attributes. Improvements in healthcare have greatly increased the life expectancy for individuals with DS despite the fact that they remain predisposed to medical conditions which in any case do not influence their development. As adults with DS age, the risk of developing clinical symptoms Alzheimer’s disease increases by up to 75%. The prevalence for dementia related morbidities keeps increasing and are influenced by various genetic and environmental factors.
Down Syndrome
DS is also known as trisomy 21, and is a condition where an individual is born with an extra chromosome 21 genetic material and end up having three copies instead of two. The extra copy is as a result of an error in cell division during conception. Human chromosomes constitute over 30,000 genes which represent the human body’s biological faculties and are responsible the manufacture of proteins which is responsible for building the body structure (Wiseman et al., 2015). The extra genetic material is responsible for the health and developmental problems which end up affecting other body.
With age, people with Down syndrome are exposed to more health risk of developing dementia, which is a form of Alzheimer’s disease. At the age of 40 most individuals experiencing DS show indications of beta-amyloids which are protein deposits that cause Alzheimer’s disease. Despite this being the case, not everyone with DS develops Alzheimer’s disease and this is a major research question (Roizen, 2001).
The prevalence of DS increases with advancement in age being a contributing factor to developing Alzheimer’s disease. Most people suffering from DS aged 65 and above have high chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease. The risk and causal factors for DS are related to the presence of extra genes. A chromosome 21 gene that is considered an important factor is Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP), which scientists are yet to discover its function. One pathway in the brain that processes APP produces beta-amyloid, which is a key constituent of plaques and is responsible for brain changes related to Alzheimer’s as the extra copy of beta-amyloid triggers a ch...