Monday, September 10, 2007

What Is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's disease damages the brain's intellectual functions (memory, orientation, calculation), but at first, it largely spares those parts of the brain that control sensation and movement. The memory often is affected early and gradually deteriorates, causing impaired judgment and other problems that may affect your ability to perform normal daily activities. Although Alzheimer's usually begins later in life, generally after age 60, it can affect people as young as age 30.

In Alzheimer's disease, deposits of proteins called amyloid and TAU distort communication between brain cells. Also, levels of a chemical called acetylcholine that helps transmit messages between brain cells begin to drop, causing more communication problems. Eventually, brain cells themselves are affected. They begin to shrivel and die, causing certain areas of the brain to shrink.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia, accounting for 50% to 67% of all cases in people aged 65 and older. Approximately 4 million people in the United States currently have the disease.

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