Does aluminum in drinking water really have an effect on Alzheimer's? DoesThere is an article on Alzheimer's in the December issue of the Scientific American. I read the article on the Sci-Am web site (go to: http://www.sciam.com/2000/1200issue/1200Stgeorge.html). It stated the following:
it effect ACH levels? Or is it a myth that the environment can have much to
do with this disease?
"The few risk factors identified so far are intriguing but not entirely illuminating. It appears that poor early-childhood education, serious head injury and--albeit much less definitively--exposure to aluminum in drinking water correlate with higher risk. Correlation, however, does not mean causality, and it may turn out that these factors are actually indicators of other agents or events. For instance, head injury might simply reduce the number of neurons, thereby causing the symptoms of Alheimer's to appear earlier than they otherwise would have."
Genetics is apparently very important in some families: there appears to be an autosomal dominant gene associated with the disorder in those families. In the rest, genetic variance is related to variance in the development of the disorder to some extent; but variance in environmental factors is also thought to be very important. You might wish to send your student to the web address I gave above.
Jeff
--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D.
Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd.
FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
"Science must begin with myths and with the criticism of myths"
Karl Popper
Listowner: Psychologists Educating Students to Think Skeptically (PESTS)
http://www.sc.maricopa.edu/sbscience/pests/index.html
