Alzheimer's Disease.
(15-08-2005)
Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. Alzheimer's disease was first described in 1906 by the German physician Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915), who gave the disease its name.
The disease is due to deposits of two different proteins in the brain. The two proteins are called:
Beta-amyloid settles between the nerve cells, where it creates so-called plaques. Tau settles inside some nerve cells, where it creates so-called tangles.
Both types of protein deposits can be observed in other dementia diseases, so it is the combination and dispersement throughout the brain that is unique to Alzheimer's disease.
In Alzheimer's disease, the areas in the temporal lobe that control memory are initially affected. Consequently, the memory is particularly affected.
Many people have some of the symptoms described on this page. That does not mean that they have dementia.