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Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and degenerative brain illness, which causes thinking and memory to become seriously impaired.
When a person has Alzheimer's disease, several physical changes occur in the brain. Brain cells shrink - or disappear - and are replaced by dense, irregularly shaped spots called plaques.
Threadlike tangles will also develop within existing brain cells, and will eventually choke and destroy healthy cells. As brain cells degenerate and die, the brain shrinks in some regions – a process that will continue over time.
As the disease advances and affects different areas of the brain, various abilities become impaired resulting in changes to abilities and/or behaviour.
Once an ability is lost, it is not known to return. However, research is now suggesting that some relearning may be possible.
