Alzheimer Disease

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Dis Primers

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2021 May 14

PMID 33986301

Citations 695

Authors

David S Knopman

Helene Amieva

Ronald C Petersen

Gael Chetelat

David M Holtzman

Bradley T Hyman

Ralph A Nixon

David T Jones

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Alzheimer disease (AD) is biologically defined by the presence of β-amyloid-containing plaques and tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles. AD is a genetic and sporadic neurodegenerative disease that causes an amnestic cognitive impairment in its prototypical presentation and non-amnestic cognitive impairment in its less common variants. AD is a common cause of cognitive impairment acquired in midlife and late-life but its clinical impact is modified by other neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular conditions. This Primer conceives of AD biology as the brain disorder that results from a complex interplay of loss of synaptic homeostasis and dysfunction in the highly interrelated endosomal/lysosomal clearance pathways in which the precursors, aggregated species and post-translationally modified products of Aβ and tau play important roles. Therapeutic endeavours are still struggling to find targets within this framework that substantially change the clinical course in persons with AD.

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