Did you know that…? 6 facts about neurodegenerative diseases:
The brain and how it works has remained largely unexplored to this day. Many diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, therefore require intensive research in order to gain a better understanding of the depths of the human brain. These 6 facts about Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, Depression, MS and bipolar disorder are not only educational but interesting as well.
Fact 1: Did you know that..
.. there is a twice as high likelihood for women in their 60s to develop Alzheimer’s than to develop breast cancer over the rest of their lives. From three AD patients, two of them are women, but why? Women’s Brain Initiative and their brain imaging studies have shown that there is a connection between estrogen declines and increased Alzheimer’s risk in female brains. There is a further study to address the linkage between female sex hormones, brain aging, and Alzheimer’s risk.
Fact 2: Did you know that..
.. in 10% of cases depression is mistakenly diagnosed as dementia. Elderly patients with depression often complain about memory loss and concentration problems. So it happens that depression is diagnosed as dementia. This phenomenon is known as ‘Pseudodementia’. (Fellgiebel, A. (2017). „Pseudodemenz “)
Fact 3: Did you know that..
.. constipation is believed to be one of the earliest manifestations of Parkinson’s. In fact it is known that at least 60% to 80% of diagnosed Parkinson’s patients suffer from such constipation. Parkinson disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and it’s symptoms are due to a protein called alpha synuclein (αS), which blocks parts of the brainstem. The primary function of this protein is yet to be determined.
Fact 4: Did you know that..
.. there is a distinction between rapid and non-rapid cycling in bipolar disorders. Among all diagnosed patients with bipolar disorders within one year about 5%-33.3% of these patients are rapid cyclers. This means that they experience 4 or more mood episodes per year that meet the criteria for manic, hypomanic, or major depressive episodes. Rapid cycling is amongst other things related to an earlier age at onset and a longer course of illness.
Fact 5: Did you know that..
.. one key symptom of schizophrenia are hallucinations, 60 to 70% of schizophrenia patients experience this symptom. The most common hallucinations are by far the auditory hallucinations and most people hear familiar voices or melodies. The frequency and the loudness of voices or sounds can range from low (once a month or less) to continuously all day long and from whispers to shouts.
Fact 6: Did you know that..
.. the prevalence of multiple sclerosis is lower near the equator in both the northern and southern halves, with greater distance from the equator the frequency increases. Scientists suggest a correlation between the level of vitamin D and the risk of multiple sclerosis.