1st February 2024

Pathophysiology

In Alzheimer’s dementia, there is an accumulation of two different abnormal structures. These, in turn, affect the entire brain, causing shrinkage of the brain.

1. Beta Amyloid plaques
   • These are dense protein and cellular deposits that accumulate outside and around nerve cells in the brain. This leads to cell death and dementia.
2. Neurofibrillary tangles
   • This is hyperphosphorylated tau protein. The tau proteins start folding and clumping, resulting in these twisted fibres inside the nerve cells, causing dementia.