To understand Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major thrusts of present-day clinical research, strongly supported by more fimdamental cellular, biochemical, immunological and structural studies. It is these latter that receive attention within this book. This compilation of 20 chapters indicates the diversity of work currently in progress and summarizes the current state of knowledge. Experienced authors who are scientifically active in their fields of study have been selected as contributors to this book, in an attempt to present a reasonably complete survey of the field. Inevitably, some exciting topics for one reason or another have not been included, for which we can only apologize. Standardization of terminology is often a problem in science, not least in the Alzheimer field; editorial effort has been made to achieve standardization between the Chapters, but some minor yet acceptable personal / author variation is still present, i. e. P-amyloid/amyloid-P; Ap42/Apl-42/APi. 42! The book commences with a broad survey of the contribution that the range of available microscopical techniques has made to the study of Alzheimer's amyloid plaques and amyloid fibrillogenesis. This chapter also serves as an Introduction to the book, since several of the topics introduced here are expanded upon in later chapters. Also, it is significant to the presence of this chapter that the initial discovery of brain plaques, by Alois Alzheimer, utilized light microscopy, a technique that continues to be extremely valuable in present-day AD research.

To understand Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the major thrusts of present-day clinical research, strongly supported by more fimdamental cellular, biochemical, immunological and structural studies. It is these latter that receive attention within this book. This compilation of 20 chapters indicates the diversity of work currently in progress and summarizes the current state of knowledge. Experienced authors who are scientifically active in their fields of study have been selected as contributors to this book, in an attempt to present a reasonably complete survey of the field. Inevitably, some exciting topics for one reason or another have not been included, for which we can only apologize. Standardization of terminology is often a problem in science, not least in the Alzheimer field; editorial effort has been made to achieve standardization between the Chapters, but some minor yet acceptable personal / author variation is still present, i. e. P-amyloid/amyloid-P; Ap42/Apl-42/APi. 42! The book commences with a broad survey of the contribution that the range of available microscopical techniques has made to the study of Alzheimer's amyloid plaques and amyloid fibrillogenesis. This chapter also serves as an Introduction to the book, since several of the topics introduced here are expanded upon in later chapters. Also, it is significant to the presence of this chapter that the initial discovery of brain plaques, by Alois Alzheimer, utilized light microscopy, a technique that continues to be extremely valuable in present-day AD research.

This book examines every major aspect of Alzheimer disease at a time when there has been no scholarly research volume on the subject published in the last 3-5 years. This edition includes expanded coverage of the cellular-level exploration of related dementing disorders, with in-depth presentation of prion diseases, Pick's disease, fronto-temporal disorders, transgenic models, and biochemistry of presenilins.

The overall goal of the International Study Group on the Pharmacology of Memory Disorders Associated with Ageing is to point out discoveries that shed light on the potential causes of Alzheimer's disease, its pathogenesis, and the biological mechanisms that could underlie its cure. This eighth meeting in the series, aims to stimulate research in dementia and increase the transfer of information from the basic sciences to physicians and the pharmaceutical industry."

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurological disease that affects tens of millions of people, in addition to their carers. Hallmark features of AD include plaques composed of amyloid beta, as well as neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein. However, despite more than a century of study, the cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains unresolved. The roles of amyloid beta and tau are being questioned and other causes of AD are now under consideration. The contributions of researchers, model organisms, and various hypotheses will be examined in this Special Issue.

Alzheimer’s Disease is characterized pathologically by two principal hallmark lesions: the senile plaque and the neurofibrillary tangle. Since the identification of each over 100 years ago, the major protein components have been elucidated. This has led in turn to the elaboration of metabolic cascades involving amyloid-β production in the case of the senile plaque, and phosphorylated-tau protein in the case of the neurofibrillary tangle. The pathogenesis and histogenesis of each have been the source of extensive investigation and some controversy in recent years, as both cascades have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease, relied upon in the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer’s Disease at autopsy, and targeted for therapeutic intervention. With the accumulation of data and expansion of knowledge of the molecular biology of Alzheimer’s Disease, it appears that the enthusiasm for successful intervention has been premature. In this book, we detail the discovery and characterization of the major pathological lesions, their associated molecular biology, their relationship to clinical disease, and potential fundamental errors in understanding that may be leading scientific investigators in unintended directions.

“Alzheimer’s Disease: From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Practices” explores the extensive perspective from the molecular foundations to the clinical diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The book serves as a fundamental resource for understanding the neurobiological basis and molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s, while also discussing the challenges and opportunities of transitioning from the laboratory to clinical settings. The initial sections of the book comprehensively examine the fundamental molecular characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease; these include the accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide, hyperphosphorylation of tau protein, and how these processes lead to synaptic dysfunction and neuronal death. These chapters provide strategies on how to understand the pathology of the disease at a molecular level and how this knowledge can be translated into clinical practice. Subsequent parts focus on the development and use of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to the role of genetic predispositions, the effects of environmental factors and lifestyle choices on Alzheimer’s disease are discussed, highlighting the multifactorial nature of the disease. In conclusion, this book is a valuable resource for clinicians, researchers, and medical students specializing in the field. It provides essential scientific and practical information necessary for a better understanding and management of Alzheimer’s disease, offering a comprehensive perspective on the integration of molecular mechanisms with clinical applications.