Once enough cells have stopped working, part of the brain dies. Those cells are the ones in charge of memory, reasoning and the ability to take care of oneself. When Alzheimer discovered the irregular brain cells in knots, he called them neurofibrillary tangles. Usually the brain disorder affects people older than 65, but in rare cases some people in their 40s and 50s have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Besides age, risk factors include a family history of Alzheimer's, and Down syndrome.
Scientists working on a cure have few options.
Estrogen for women seems promising, but researchers are still examining that. Still, they predict that within the next decade they will have a cure for Alzheimer's, according to a video titled Alzheimer's Disease . . . Let's Talk About It, produced by GlaxoWellcome. Richmond says that her family will eventually have to put her mother into an assisted living situation, but she hasn't found a suitable one yet. She says it's getting harder and harder every day to take care of her mother.