Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that gradually impairs memory, thinking, and daily functioning. It is the most common cause of dementia.

Amyloid beta: Amyloid beta is a peptide produced when cells process amyloid precursor protein; it can accumulate in plaques in the brain. Its aggregation into plaques is a defining feature of Alzheimer's pathology.
Dementia: Dementia is a syndrome of cognitive decline severe enough to interfere with independent daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of this broader clinical syndrome.
Alzheimer's disease diagnosis: Alzheimer's disease diagnosis is the clinical process of assessing cognitive symptoms, function, and evidence of underlying disease. Diagnosis distinguishes the disease from other causes of cognitive decline.
Apolipoprotein E: Apolipoprotein E is a protein involved in lipid transport; its APOE ε4 variant increases late-onset Alzheimer's risk. APOE ε4 is the strongest common genetic risk factor for late-onset disease.
Vascular dementia: Vascular dementia is cognitive impairment caused by cerebrovascular injury that disrupts blood flow or damages brain tissue. Its vascular cause distinguishes it from Alzheimer's characteristic protein pathology.
Tau protein: Tau is a protein that stabilizes microtubules inside neurons; abnormal tau can form tangles and disrupt cell function. Alzheimer's disease involves abnormal tau accumulating inside neurons.
Mild cognitive impairment: Mild cognitive impairment is measurable decline in cognition that does not substantially disrupt independent daily functioning. It can precede Alzheimer's dementia, though it does not always progress.
Amyloid PET imaging: Amyloid PET imaging uses radiotracers and positron emission tomography to detect amyloid deposits in the brain. It can provide biomarker evidence of amyloid pathology in living patients.
APP gene: The APP gene encodes amyloid precursor protein, which can be cleaved to produce amyloid beta. Rare APP mutations can cause inherited early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Dementia with Lewy bodies: Dementia with Lewy bodies is a neurodegenerative disease associated with alpha-synuclein deposits and cognitive, visual, and motor symptoms. Fluctuating cognition, visual hallucinations, and parkinsonism can point away from Alzheimer's.

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