Alzheimer's disease

Question 1

what is dementia

Answer 1

it is cognitive or behavioural symptoms that interfere with function, and are not due to delirium or psychiatric illness

Question 2

dementia vs Alzheimer’s

Answer 2

dementia is the umbrella term for the symptoms. Alzheimer’s is just the most common cause of dementia.

Question 3

what is the cause of Alzheimer’s

Answer 3

it is an Amyloid-mediated Tauopathy. failure of two proteins (Amyloid and Tau)

Question 4

types of Alzheimer’s

Answer 4

sporadic (98% of cases, late onset), familial (extraordinarily rare, mutation of APP)

Question 5

how is amyloid involved in Alzheimer’s

Answer 5

40-42 chain Amyloid (beta amyloid) form insoluble plaques on the surface of the neuron, triggering a cascade of things leading to neurodgeneration. if APP is incorrectly cleaved, it forms beta amyloid, leading to the plaques.

Question 6

way of detecting while alive

Answer 6

Pet scan can show amyloid plaque in brain, and recently too can show Tau

Question 7

how is Tau involved with Alzheimer’s

Answer 7

Tau (intracellular) gets hyperphosphorilated and forms neurofibrilary tangles, which make the cell die. Then the cell expels the Tau, which other neurons ingest, infecting more.

Question 8

AD cognitive changes

Answer 8

language deficit, memory impairment, navigation impairment