Alzheimer's Disease is a degenerative brain disease that afflicts over 5 million people in the United States.  Alzheimer's is typically found in the elderly, though early-onset versions of the disease also exist.  It leads to a slow deterioration of brain functions such as memory loss, thinking skills, motor function and is the leading cause of dementia.  Sadly there is no cure and the symptoms are irreversible, but researchers are continually working to understand the causes and mechanisms of Alzheimer's in search of effective treatments.

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Key Questions:

​How do amyloid plaques disrupt the ability of neurons to communicate with one another?

How do neurofibrillary tangles disrupt the inner workings of individual neurons?

How do these damaging effects of Alzheimer's on cells and neural networks lead to the symptoms of the disease? 

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Vocabulary Terms:

enzymes     amyloid plaques     dementia     neurofibrillary fibers     microtubules      ​​​

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