Ayaka Ohara

IR-2/11AP
November 13, 2017
Project Proposal

1. What specific area(s) within the field will be investigated, research, and/or studied?
a. I will be studying the effect of nutrition on the development of Alzheimer’s
Disease. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, so we must find a
way to slow the neurodegeneration of the brain or prevent it from happening in
the first place. Within the different risk factors that contribute to the risk of
developing late-onset Alzheimer’s Disease, dietary and lifestyle factors are
associated with this Alzheimer’s risk and prevention strategies may be applicable.
More specifically, I will be researching the effect of the addition of vitamins and
omega-3 fatty acids to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
2. What is the background and History of the issue?
a. More than a hundred years ago, German physicist, Alois Alzheimer did a
postmortem analysis of a dementia filled brain of one of his patients. He was
curious as to why and how she lost her memory so quickly and hoped to unmask
the biological roots of her rapid mental deterioration. The woman's name was
Auguste Deter, and she had been admitted to a hospital for the mentally ill years
before. When Alzheimer examined her, she seemed to be enveloped in a cloud of
confusion and was constantly paranoid and delusional that people wanted to kill
her.
b. When Alzheimer looked at her brain under a microscope, he noticed that under
the clump of healthy nerve cells, there was a bundle of proteins called amyloid
plaques and tau tangles.
3. Why is the problem important? Who will benefit from this research ?
a. Alzheimer’s Disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States and
more than 5 million people in the United States are living with this disease. Every
66 seconds, someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s Disease and it
kills more people than breast cancer and prostate cancer combined. This disease
has cost the United States up to $259 billion and in the next 30 years, this number
could rise to almost $1.1 trillion. Many loved ones are affected by this disease and
we must find a cure or help prevent it. My research will benefit people with a risk
of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
4. Research Methodology
a. Research Question and Hypothesis
i. Question: What is the effect of certain nutrients on the development of
Alzheimer’s Disease?
 ii. Hypothesis: An increase in the intake of Vitamin B12 and E in a person’s
diet will cause a decrease in the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease as
the amount of amyloid beta formed in the brain decreases.
iii. Hypothesis: An increase the intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids will slow the
degeneration of the brain and the risk of developing Alzheimer’s
b. Basis of Hypothesis
i. One of the main factors that is either a cause of effect of Alzheimer’s
Disease are amyloid plaques and tau tangles. When looking at autopsies of
patients who died from Alzheimer’s, they all seem to have tau tangles and
amyloid plaques filled in their brain. If antioxidants and omega-3 fatty
acids help to lower the risk of neuronal degeneration and help with proper
brain development, I thought it plausible that these foods could lower the
production of the tau and amyloid.
c. Research Design
i. The type of research I would like to pursue is descriptive as I will gain
information about my topic and spread my knowledge and understanding
to others by providing a detailed explanation. My primary research data
collection is through reading articles about different experiments and data
and interviewing experts.
5. Operational Definition
a. Amyloid Plaques-inaccurate snipping of the amyloid precursor protein by an
enzyme produces amyloid beta which accumulates with more amyloid to produce
the plaque
b. Tau Tangle-Hyperphosphorylation of tau proteins on microtubules cause them to
detach and tangle together, choking the neuron and making the cell unable to
communicate
c. Antioxidant-molecule that helps to inhibit the oxidation of other molecules
d. Vitamin B12-helps in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system,
along with the formation of red blood cells.
e. Vitamin E-anti-inflammatory activity protects against Alzheimer’s and can help
slow down the worsening of memory loss.
6. Product Overview
a. I hope to use my project for a presentation or event, research presented at science
fairs, and to increase a general awareness of how to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.
b. The intended audience is almost everyone in the general population. As my topic
deals with the effect of nutrition on brain health, this can benefit everyone, even if
you are not at the likely age of developing Alzheimer’s. Maintaining proper brain
functional is essential at any age.
7. I only need a mode of transportation for completing my project.