Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive and irreversible neurological disorder that results in significant memory loss and behavioral and personality changes. It is the most common form of dementia, which is a category of diseases characterized by serious memory loss and other neurological symptoms. The two hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease are the amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are found in the brain cells of those with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The amyloid plaques are abnormal clusters of dead nerve cells and amyloid proteins. The neurofibrillary tangles are twisted protein fragments inside the nerve cells. These plaques and tangles "clog" the messaging system in the brain and prevent neurons from communicating with each other and, hence, prevent the brain from functioning normally.