Alzheimer-type dementia is due to what appear to be specific cellular and histological degenerative processes, with loss of cells from the brain areas. As a consequence of the disease, the brain atrophies markedly. While plaques and tangles are found in normal aging brains, they are more numerous and widespread in Alzheimer's disease. Historically, the only way to diagnose Alzheimer's disease with medical certainty is at an autopsy. The affliction has been described, aptly, as a disease that steals one's memory.
Researchers are tantalizingly close to discovering the genetic or molecular basis of the disease.
Hope for the Future Over the last decade or so, a revolution in biology has occurred. Using new techniques and technology, researchers are now able to peer into the cell and its components, essentially to the genetic and molecular levels. Just within the last two or three years, new procedures have been developed to diagnose the disease earlier, and new treatments, such as Aricept, have been developed to delay the onset of symptoms. 201 Walton Ferry Road, Hendersonville, Tennessee 37077-0364. Copyright 1999 by Timothy L. Takacs.