What Is Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia. The disease is characterized by the gradual loss of cognitive skills and some functional impairment. It is diagnosed mostly in older adults of ages 65 and up, and can lead to a condition where a patient would be completely dependent on a caregiver. Alzheimer's is mainly caused by reduced amounts of neurotransmitters in the brain, which will cause memory loss. Below is a comparison of two brains:

The image on the left portrays a healthy brain, fully developed with no disorders or diseases. In the image on the right, you can see that the lobes of the cerebral cortex have shrunken, and the once small ventricles between the lobes have become much larger. This depicts the brain of a human with Alzheimer's disease.

There is no cure, and treatment medications for the condition are usually unsuccessful. The condition can worsen as a person grows older. You can find out more about this disease here.