The Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease

Despite consensus on clinical and neuropathologic definitions of Alzheimer’s disease, limited informationis available on its causes and pathogenesis. Current data suggest interactions among the variouspossible biological and environmental influences that result in a common pathway leading to the disease.Biological influences include genetic mutations causing the disease phenotype and polymorphismscontributing to disease risk. Alterations in immune or inflammatory responses may also representbiological influences. Various environmental influences that may interact with endogenousbiological factors include education, traumatic injury, oxidative stress, drugs, and hormone replacement.The author describes some recent findings that suggest possible pathogenic mechanisms, which mayeventually have important treatment implications.