Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects a person’s ability to function. Physical changes occur in the brain, including loss of functioning and death of nerve cells. It affects memory, thinking and the ability to communicate. Two abnormal structures are found in the brain of people with Alzheimer’s disease:

• Neurofibrillary tangles
• Amyloid plaques

Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Its causes are not yet known nor fully understood.

For more information: check the Alzheimer’s disease fact sheet at the Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center (ADEAR), sponsored by the National Institute on Aging www.alzheimers.org