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Alzheimer’s Disease

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Neurodegenerative Disorders

Abstract

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of acquired dementia. The biggest risk factor for the development of AD is age, and with increasing longevity a feature of modern healthcare, the prevalence of dementia and most particularly AD is set to double over the next 20 years. The disease is characterized most commonly by memory, language, and executive dysfunction although other presentations such as visuospatial dysfunction, agnosia, and behavioral disturbance are common in younger onset and familial forms. The pathology is a unifying feature and much progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis such that therapeutic intervention to truly modify the disease is only a matter of time.

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Correspondence to Brian A. Lawlor .

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© 2011 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Gallagher, D.J., Mhaolaín, A.N., Sperling, R.A., Lawlor, B.A. (2011). Alzheimer’s Disease. In: Hardiman, O., Doherty, C. (eds) Neurodegenerative Disorders. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-011-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84996-011-3_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84996-010-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84996-011-3

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