Podcast
Questions and Answers
What percentage of Alzheimer disease cases occur at a young age?
What percentage of Alzheimer disease cases occur at a young age?
What is a primary genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease?
What is a primary genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer disease?
What is a characteristic of Alzheimer disease-affected individuals at a younger age compared to age-matched controls?
What is a characteristic of Alzheimer disease-affected individuals at a younger age compared to age-matched controls?
What is the most prominent neurotransmitter deficit that correlates with Alzheimer disease severity?
What is the most prominent neurotransmitter deficit that correlates with Alzheimer disease severity?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a proposed mechanism for Alzheimer disease-related changes?
What is a proposed mechanism for Alzheimer disease-related changes?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a common risk factor for vascular disease that is also a risk factor for Alzheimer disease?
What is a common risk factor for vascular disease that is also a risk factor for Alzheimer disease?
Signup and view all the answers
What is a characteristic signature lesion of Alzheimer disease?
What is a characteristic signature lesion of Alzheimer disease?
Signup and view all the answers
What is the primary pathology in most forms of Alzheimer disease?
What is the primary pathology in most forms of Alzheimer disease?
Signup and view all the answers
Study Notes
Alzheimer's Disease Overview
- Affects approximately 7.5 million Americans of all ages
- Characterized by loss of cognitive and physical functioning, often with behavioral symptoms
Genetic Factors
- Late onset AD primarily linked to apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype
- Genetic-environmental interaction may contribute to AD development
- Young onset AD (<1% of cases) attributed to chromosomal alterations affecting amyloid precursor protein processing
Risk Factors
- Age
- Decreased brain reserve capacity
- Head injury
- Down syndrome
- Depression
- Mild cognitive impairment
- Vascular disease risk factors:
- Hypertension
- Elevated homocysteine
- Elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- Low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes
Pathological Characteristics
- Signature lesions:
- Intracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs)
- Extracellular plaques in the cortex and medial temporal lobe
- Neuronal and synaptic degeneration
- Cortical atrophy
- AD individuals have a higher burden of plaques and NFTs in younger years compared to age-matched controls
Proposed Mechanisms
- β amyloid protein aggregation, leading to plaque formation
- Hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, leading to NFTs
- Synaptic failure and depletion of neurotrophin and neurotransmitters
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Oxidative stress
- Amyloid cascade hypothesis: β amyloid production and clearance imbalance, leading to AD
Neurotransmitter Deficit
- Loss of cholinergic activity is the most prominent neurotransmitter deficit, correlating with AD severity
- Cholinergic cell loss is a consequence of AD pathology, not the cause
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
This quiz covers the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease, including its genetic susceptibility, environmental interactions, and rare forms of the disease that occur at a young age.
