CHAPTER 4
Principal Players
PART 1
Progression of Alzheimer’s
As Alzheimer’s progresses, beta amyloid proteins (plaques) begin to build up in areas of the brain critical for creating, retaining, and extracting memories and for learning new things. Over time, these toxic deposits occupy more and more space in the brain, leaving little room for normal cells to function. It is believed these deposits interfere with the communication between nerve cells.Several key proteins are deposited in the brain during the course of Alzheimer’s disease, such as beta amyloid protein and tau. The pathology of Alzheimer’s occurs when beta amyloid deposits in plaques and tau deposits in neurofibrillary tangles. This build up of both leads to nerve injury and the symptoms of Alzheimer’s dementia. Most Alzheimer’s scientists believe that the excessive accumulation of beta amyloid proteins actually induces nerve cell tangles to form.
It is important to consider that while abundant brain beta amyloid protein is considered necessary for Alzheimer’s, it is not sufficient to cause the disease. Amyloid must first trigger tangle formation for dementia to ensue.
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theVisualMD Wishes to Thank our Scientific Collaborators:
- Jeffrey Cummings, MD
Director, Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center of Brain Health, Las Vegas - Stephen Salloway, MD, MS
Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry Alpert Medical School of Brown University - Philip Scheltens, MD, PhD
Director, Alzheimer`s Center VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Reisa Sperling, MD
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School - Rudolph E. Tanzi, PhD
Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School Director, Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease Massachusetts General Hospital - Audrey Chun, MD
Medical Director, Martha Stewart Center for Living Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York - Bradley Hyman, MD, PhD
John B Penney Jr Professor of Neurology Harvard Medical School Director, Massachusetts Alzheimer Disease Research Center Massachusetts General Hospital - University of Pittsburgh Amyloid Imaging Group
- John H. Morrison, PhD
Dean of Basic Sciences and the Graduate School of Biological Sciences Professor, Department of Neuroscience, Director, Neurobiology of Aging Laboratories Mount Sinai School of Medicine - Brad Dickerson, MD
Harvard University - Mony John de Leon
Professor, Director Center of Brain Health, Department of Psychiatry, Langone Medical Center, New York University - Ramon Figueroa, MD
Georgia Health Sciences Health System
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