Alzheimer's Disease Information

Alzheimer disease is a neurological disorder characterized by slow, progressive memory loss due to a gradual loss of brain cells. Alzheimer disease significantly affects cognitive (thought) capabilities and, eventually, affected individuals become incapacitated. Alzheimer-related issues can cause emotional and financial upheaval for both the individuals with the disease and their families.

Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia (loss of intellectual function) and, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it is the fourth leading cause of death in adults. Alzheimer's disease is not a normal part of aging and is not something that inevitably happens in later life. Rather, it is one of the dementing disorders, which are a group of brain diseases that result in the loss of mental and physical functions.