Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German doctor. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer described changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He found abnormal clumps and tangled bundles of fibers. The clumps are now called senile plaques or amyloid plaques and the tangles are called neurofibrillary tangles. Today, these plaques and tangles in the brain are considered hallmarks of AD.

[Credit: NIH]

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia which is characterized by memory loss. Another common form of dementia is vascular dementia, which is caused by a series of strokes or changes in the brain’s blood supply.

Alzheimer's disease usually begins after age 60, and risk goes up with age. About 3 percent of men and women ages 65 to 74 have AD, and nearly half of those age 85 and older may have the disease. If untreated, the patient will die due to severe brain damage. The time from diagnosis to death varies between 3 to 10 years, depending on age and other health conditions.

At present, no drug can significantly slow the progression of this deadly disease. However, we are beginning to have a clear picture about its causes, which should help development of more effective drugs.

Source:

National Institute on Aging, USA

Adapted by Frank Lee
Last updated: February 10, 2011