Reading Part A Alzheimers Disease 283q57

Text 1 Mobile phones may help reverse Alzheimer's disease DESPITE the debate that radiation from mobile phones can cause brain cancer, a new study has found a possible health benefit - that the electromagnetic waves may protect against and even reverse Alzheimer's disease. The debate has raged for years on the dangers of mobile phones and whether the radiation emitted from the devices cause brain tumours. But researchers at the University of South Florida found mobile phones might be good for s after conducting a study that exposed 96 mice, most of whom had been genetically altered to develop the Alzheimer's disease as they aged, to electromagnetic waves generated by mobile phones. The mice were zapped with 918MHz of frequency twice a day for one hour each time over a period of seven to nine months - the equivalent of several decades in humans. In older mice with Alzheimer's, long-term exposure to the electromagnetic fields caused deposits in the brain of beta-amyloid, a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain of Alzheimer's sufferers to form the disease's signature plaques, to be erased. Memory impairment in the older mice disappeared, too, the study showed. Young adult mice with no apparent signs of memory impairment were protected against Alzheimer's disease after several months of exposure to the mobile phone waves, the study showed. And the memory levels of normal mice with no genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease were boosted after exposure to the electromagnetic waves. The study was the first to look at the long-term effects of mobile phone exposure in mice or humans and its findings took even the researchers by surprise. Based on the findings in mice, the researchers hoped electromagnetic field exposure could be an effective, non-invasive and drug-free way to prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease in humans.

Text 2 Alzheimer’s Disease Research – • The number of Australians with dementia, of which Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form, has ed 200,000, or 1% of the population • The economic cost to the Australian community is in excess of $7 billion annually. Alzheimer’s Disease is named for Dr Alois Alzheimer, a German physician. In 1906, while conducting an autopsy of a woman who had died after what appeared to be a mental illness, he observed tangles of brain fibre surrounded by dense deposits (plaques). These tangles and plaques are now recognised as the hallmarks of the disease. Professor Colin Masters, who heads the Alzheimer’s Disease research team of scientists from the Mental Health Research Institute and University of Melbourne, was the first person to discover that overexpression of a brain protein, amyloid Beta A4 (A-beta protein), is the cause of the disease. This protein is toxic to nerve cells and forms plaques in the brain that interfere with normal brain function.

Text 3 Australian Statistics of Alzheimer’s disease. 

In 2008, there were 227,300 people with dementia, with the number expected to be 731,000 by 2050 unless there is a medical breakthrough.

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In Australia there were an estimated 57,000 new cases of dementia in 2008.

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Dementia can affect younger people; currently over 9,600 Australians under the age of 65 have younger onset dementia.

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Between 2000 and 2050, the number of people with dementia in Australia is expected to increase by 327%, while the total population increases by less than 40%.

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Dementia is a major determining factor in precipitating entry to residential care. At least 60% of people in high care facilities and 30% of people in low care facilities have dementia. Many more have an obvious cognitive impairment (90% high care; 54% low care).

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Currently some 12.4% of Australians with dementia – around one in 8 – do not speak English at home, ranging from 21% in NT to 3.5% in Tasmania. Overall in the period 2001 to 2050 there is projected to be a fall in the proportion of Australians with dementia speaking English (83.8% to 82.4%) and other European languages (7.6% to 6.0%), with a greater proportion speaking Asian (6.0% to 8.3%) and Middle Eastern (1.8% to 2.3%) languages. There are approx 2100 indigenous people aged 45 and over in the Kimberley region, WA. Latest research has shown the prevalence of dementia in this group is 12.4%,

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compared to a rate of 2.6% in the Australian population – nearly five times higher. The prevalence was higher in males – in the general community, the rate is generally higher among females.

Reading – Subtest A Level II (three texts) Alzheimer’s Disease Complete the following summary using the information in the texts provided. You do not need to read each text from beginning to end to complete the task. You should scan the texts to find the information you need. Gaps may require 1, 2 or 3 words. You should write your answers next to the appropriate number in the right hand column. Use correct spelling – marks will be lost if there is incorrect spelling. Please write legibly. Summary Task 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Text of Cloze

Alzheimer’s disease, first described by a (1) from (2), Dr Alois Alzheimer, (3) 1906, is a disease characterised pathologically by (4) and plaques in brain tissue. It has since been discovered that there is a (5), Amyloid Beta A4, otherwise known as (6) protein, which is deposited in the brain, forming plaques that are (7) neurons. The disease (8) in Australia is rapidly increasing, being over (9) people in 2008, and predicted to reach (10) by 2050. Each year, more than (11) new cases are diagnosed. Certain subgroups in the community are more (12) of dementia, especially Aborigines, who have an incidence nearly (13) greater than in the general community. Asian and (14) language groups will be a larger part of the dementia population in Australia in years to come, with the (15) component increasing from 6.0% to 8.3% in the years from 2001 to (16). (turn over page)

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17 18 19 20 21

Recent research in (17) with electromagnetic (18) has pointed to the possible protective effect of (19). In view of the cost of in excess of (20) per year of Alzheimer’s disease, any

treatment that is effective, (21) and drug free would be welcome.

Text on Alzheimer’s disease reading exercise

Alzheimer’s disease, first described by a physician from , Dr Alois Alzheimer, in 1906, is a disease characterised pathologically by tangles and plaques in brain tissue. It has since been discovered that there is a protein, Amyloid Beta A4, otherwise known as A-beta protein, which is deposited in the brain, forming plaques that are toxic to neurons.

The disease incidence in Australia is rapidly increasing, being over 200,000 (has to be less than 227,300) people in 2008, and predicted to reach 731,000 by 2050. Each year, more than 50,000 (has to be less than 57,000) new cases are diagnosed. Certain subgroups in the community are more at risk of dementia, especially Aborigines, who have an incidence nearly 5 times greater than in the general community. Asian and Middle Eastern language groups will be a larger part of the dementia population in Australia in years to come, with the Asian component increasing from 6.0% to 8.3% in the years from 2001 to 2050. Recent research in mice / Florida / Alzheimer’s disease on electromagnetic radiation has pointed to the possible protective effect of mobile phones. In view of the cost of in excess of $7 billion per year of Alzheimer’s disease, any treatment that is effective, non-invasive and drug free would be welcome.