Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Research has shown that the brains of peo...
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Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Research has shown that the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease have low levels of acetylcholine. This chemical permits nerves to transmit signals between areas of the brain responsible for brain communication. Brain communication also declines as neurons -- cells that process and transmit information --degenerate or become a tangled mass of fibers. Other changes include production of an abnormal protein called amyloid, which forms a kind of plaque that is toxic to nearby brain cells. It isn't fully understood why these changes happen in some people and not others, although genetics appear to play a role.