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Alzheimer's is a the most common form of dementia. Nearly 50-80% of all dementia patients have Alzheimer's. It is a progressive fatal neurodegenerative disease that attacks specific chemicals and regions of the brain. There are several stages however there is no known cure at this time.
Widespread neuronal death, tissue damage and significant brain shrinkage are physiological symptoms of the disease. The outer layer of the brain called the cortex is involved with planning, cognition and some memory functions. Cortical neurons degenerate leading to shrinkage of the cortex.
The hippocampus is a small region deep inside the brain. It is involved with learning and memory. In Alzheimer's the hippocampus shrinks even more severely than the cortex. Therefore no new memories can be formed.
The brain also has a circulatory system and large pockets called ventricles. These ventricles carry cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the brain. Our brains essentially float in CSF which protects the brain from trauma and keeps our brains in a chemical balance.
Plaques and tangles are another significant problem in the Alzheimer's brain. Plaques are abnormal proteins (beta-amyloid protein) which clogged between neurons. Tangles are collections of malformed proteins inside dying and dead neurons.
