Welcome to the May newsletter!
Inside the brain: The role of neuropathology in Alzheimer’s disease research
Imagine being able to look inside the brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease and see the changes that are interfering with that person’s thinking, memory, and other important brain functions. Scientists working in the field of neuropathology are doing just that.
How Alzheimer's Changes the Brain
In healthy people, all sensations, movements, thoughts, memories, and feelings are the result of signals that pass through billions of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Neurons constantly communicate with each other through electrical charges that travel down axons, causing the release of chemicals across tiny gaps to neighboring neurons. Other cells in the brain, such as astrocytes and microglia, clear away debris and help keep neurons healthy.
Risk factors for heart disease linked to dementia
People with dementia have problems thinking, remembering, and communicating. They may repeat the same question over and over, get lost in familiar places, or have other problems managing everyday life.
Dementia can be caused by a number of disorders, such as strokes, brain tumors, Alzheimer’s disease, and late-stage Parkinson’s disease.