Researchers have been uncertain whether Alzheimer's starts in different areas of the brain at different times or, as the new research suggests, it starts in one area and spreads via cell connections to other parts of the brain.
Alzheimer's, which is irreversible and incurable, destroys memory and thinking skills and ultimately prevents people from carrying out everyday activities. It typically affects people 65 and older (called late-onset Alzheimer's) but it can strike younger people.
An estimated 5 million Americans may have the brain disorder, according to current estimates, and that number is projected to rise to as many as 16 million people by 2050 as the population ages.
The new research was supported by grants from the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the U.S. National Institute on Aging.
More information
The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more on Alzheimer's disease.
SOURCES: Karen E. Duff, Ph.D., professor of pathology, Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City; Sam Gandy, M.D., Ph.D., Mount Sinai professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City; Feb. 2, 2012, PloS One, online
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