Dr. Michael Mullan He is a biomedical researcher of the beta amyloid protein and its relation to Alzheimer’s disease, and the CEO of Roskamp Institute in Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Michael Mullan answers questions about Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia.

1. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
QA With Dr. Michael Mullan
Roskamp Institute

2. Dr. Michael Mullan GivesAnswers to Questions
About Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia
• This FAQ is solely intended to provide useful information
from the leading researcher Dr. Michael Mullan.
• It is not to be considered as a diagnostic tool or to be
used instead of treatment of Alzheimer's disease,
dementia and memory loss or substitute professional
counsel at all.

3. Is dementia the same as Alzheimer's disease?
• No, there are distinct differences between dementia and
Alzheimer's disease. Dementia is determined with the
existence of three specific symptoms.
• The first symptom is memory loss. The second symptom is the
loss of another mental faculty such as word finding. For
dementia to be positively diagnosed, both symptoms should
affect the individual's daily function to the extent that they are
not able to function normally.
• Dementia is the state the subject is in and not the underlying
source. There are many forms of dementia and Alzheimer's
disease is one of these forms.

4. How is Alzheimer ’s disease defined?
• A German psychiatrist first described Alzheimer's disease in
1907 when observing a young woman and the disease was
named after him.
• It is a neurodegenerative disease whereby the brain gradually
degenerates and is eventually entirely ruined. It begins with an
accumulation of a small protein named amyloid. This protein is
natural and is usually cleared into the blood stream and
dispelled through the liver.
• In individuals with Alzheimer's disease this function is somehow
impaired and the accumulation results in the buildup of clumps
called amyloidal plaques. This creates inflammation and leads
to the destruction of neurons.

5. • As the neurons are being taxed, a protein named tau
starts to accumulate. This protein has the function of
transporting chemicals in neurons and when disrupted,
the accumulated tau forms structures called tangles.
• Language, orientation, memory and other mental faculties
degenerate due to the damage resulting from the amyloid
plaques and tau tangles. This gradually occurs over as
much as 20 years, at first not showing any symptoms.

6. What signs and symptoms in Alzheimer's
disease are apparent in sufferers?
• The very first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are language
problems and memory loss. This results in the sufferer not
being able to express themselves properly.
• The individual starts to be repetitive due to the memory loss
and is entirely unaware of the disease.
• Mental faculties further deteriorate and it becomes impossible
for the individual to remember anything new while increasingly
dwelling on old memories.
• The language problems then further deteriorate to a point
where written and verbal communication becomes impossible.

7. • Everyday activities like dressing and feeding also start
becoming more difficult and eventually impossible to achieve
without assistance.
• Paranoia and behavioral issues start and in the final stage of
the disease, physical decline sets in.
• Balance is severely compromised and the individual struggles
to walk before becoming completely unable to.
• Weakness also sets in and the individual becomes incontinent.
The sufferer is soon confined to their bed.
• This results in infections that usually lead to the demise of the
individual.

8. What do you do in Roskamp Institute?
• Dr. Michael Mullan and his team at Roskamp
Institute are working towards finding a solution to
this debilitating disease as well as other
neurodegenerative disorders.