
This damage initially takes place in parts of the brain involved in memory, including the entorhinal cortex and hippocampus. Many other complex brain changes are thought to play a role in Alzheimer’s, too. Neurons transmit messages between different parts of the brain, and from the brain to muscles and organs in the body. Another feature is the loss of connections between nerve cells (neurons) in the brain.

These plaques and tangles in the brain are still considered some of the main features of Alzheimer’s disease. After she died, he examined her brain and found many abnormal clumps (now called amyloid plaques) and tangled bundles of fibers (now called neurofibrillary, or tau, tangles). Her symptoms included memory loss, language problems, and unpredictable behavior.

Alzheimer noticed changes in the brain tissue of a woman who had died of an unusual mental illness. Share this infographic and help spread the word about understanding different types of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia among older adults. Early-onset Alzheimer’s occurs between a person’s 30s and mid-60s and is very rare. In most people with the disease - those with the late-onset type symptoms first appear in their mid-60s. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and, eventually, the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
