Alzheimer's Disease

There are two types of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease
A neurological disease that affects memory and behaviour. It is characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. There is no known cause but genetics and lifestyle are thought to play a role., early-onset and late-onset. Early onset Early onset
An unusual form of Alzheimer’s disease in which individuals are diagnosed before the age of 65. Less than 10 percent of all Alzheimer patients have early-onset. occurs before the age of 60-65 and is thought to be linked to genes on certain chromosomes. Mutations in these genes affect a protein Protein
A molecule that consists of amino acids linked together. They are responsible for regulating many of the processes of our body. called beta-amyloid Beta-amyloid
See amyloid, which causes damage in the brain when it builds up. Less than 5% of Alzheimer's disease is early onset and because it is linked to genes, it can run in families. As a result, early onset is often referred to as familial Familial
Has a tendancy to occur in families, may be do to genetics or simply being in the same environment, or a combination of the two. Alzheimer's disease.

Early onset of Alzheimer's disease is also common in people with Down's syndrome. Down's syndrome is a result of having three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the regular two. It has been found that chromosome 21 can cause an excess of beta-amyloid to be produced. Having an extra chromosome 21 therefore produces even more beta amyloid plaques.

The more common form of Alzheimer's disease is known as late onset Late onset
The most common form of Alzheimer’s disease, usually occurring after age 65. Late-onset Alzheimer’s strikes almost half of all people over the age of 85 and may or may not be hereditary.. This type affects those over the age of 65 and appears to be related to a mutation on a gene known as APOE APOE
A protein whose main function is to transport cholesterol. The gene for this protein is on chromosome 19 and is referred to as APOE. The three most common forms of APOE are: e2, e3, and e4.. The APOE gene occurs in several forms, but the three most common are APOE 2, APOE 3 and APOE 4. The APOE 4 form of the gene is a risk factor Risk factor
Factors that have been shown to increase one’s odds of developing a disease. In Alzheimer’s disease, the only established risk factors are age, family history, and genetics. for late onset Alzheimer's disease.

The last risk factor thought to be involved in both early and late onset Alzheimer's disease, is lower levels of an important neurotransmitter Neurotransmitter

A specialized chemical messenger such as acetyl choline, that sends a message from one nerve cell to another. Neuortransmitters are responsible for the communication within the brain and also between the brain and other parts of the body.