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Alzheimer's disease
Make it clearer
Alzheimer's disease slowly damages neurons, the cells of the brain, along with the connections that link them to one another. That's why it's called neurodegenerative: it degrades, it breaks things down, and it does so progressively, advancing over time. It's the most common reason an older person ends up with dementia, and this is worth pausing on: dementia and Alzheimer's disease are not interchangeable words. One names the disease; the other, the condition it can lead to.
Look closely at that brain and you find two things. One protein, beta-amyloid, gathers outside the neurons and forms plaques, like tartar building up in the spaces between teeth. And another protein, tau, becomes abnormal and twists into tangles inside the neuron, like a thread knotting itself inside the spool. Both show up alongside the loss of connections and of neurons. They show up, they accompany the damage, but on their own they don't explain the whole disease.
In brief
Alzheimer's disease is neurodegenerative, meaning that it progressively damages neurons and their connections. It is the most common cause of dementia in older adults.
In the brain, beta-amyloid forms plaques between neurons, while abnormal tau forms tangles inside them. These changes accompany damaged connections and neuron loss, although on their own they do not fully explain the disease.
Alzheimer's disease and dementia do not mean the same thing.
Sources (2)
- National Institute on AgingWhat Is Alzheimer’s Disease?Published
- National Institute on AgingWhat Happens to the Brain in Alzheimer's Disease?
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated