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What is Alzheimer's Disease
Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person’s
ability to carry out daily activities. The most common form of dementia
among older people is Alzheimer’s disease,
which initially involves the parts of the brain that control thought,
memory, and language. Although scientists are learning more every
day, right now they still do not know what causes Alzheimer's
Disease, and there is no cure.
Alzheimer's Disease is named after Dr. Alois Alzheimer,
a German doctor. In 1906, Dr. Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain
tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. He
found abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles
of fibers (now called neurofibrillary tangles). Today, these plaques
and tangles in the brain are considered signs of Alzheimer's
Disease.
Scientists also have found other brain changes in people with Alzheimer's
Disease. Nerve cells die in areas of the brain that are
vital to memory and other mental abilities, and connections between
nerve cells are disrupted. There also are lower levels of some of
the chemicals in the brain that carry messages back and forth between
nerve cells. Alzheimer's Disease may impair thinking
and memory by disrupting these messages.
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