Brain Changes in AD

Although physicians use a variety of criteria and techniques to reach a diagnosis of AD, diagnostic certainty can only be achieved at autopsy—thereby confirming brain atrophy (Figure 4) and the microscopic hallmark lesions of AD. These lesions, known as amyloid plaques (Figure 5) and neurofibrillary tangles (Figure 6), are found in specific areas of the brain, including those that control memory and cognition.[3, 19]

Figure 4. Cross-section of healthy brain (left) vs advanced AD brain (right) showing structural and brain volume changes. Used with permission from the Alzheimer's Association. ©2006.[20]

Figure 5. Amyloid plaques in a patient with AD. Photo courtesy of Daniel Christensen, MD. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.

Figure 6. Neurofibrillary tangles in a patient with AD. Photo courtesy of Daniel Christensen, MD. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT.