Alzheimer’s
The Brain and Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease attacks nerve cells in several regions of the brain.
A. Cerebral Cortex:
Involved in conscious thought and language.
B. Basal forebrain:
Has large numbers of neurons containing acetylcholine, a chemical important in memory and learning.
C. Hippocampus:
Essential to memory storage. The earliest signs of Alzheimer’s are found in the nearby entorhinal cortex (not shown).
Hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease include neuritic plaques, (outside neurons), and neurofibrillary tangles (inside neurons).
