title: Age, neurofibrillary changes, A beta-amyloid and the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: Intraneuronal neurofibrillary changes and extracellular A beta-amyloid deposits are neuropathologic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Examination of numerous non-selected autopsy cases demonstrates that they are by no means normal concomitants of brain aging. Rather, the initial neurofibrillary changes indicate the beginning of Alzheimer's disease. A small proportion of cases displays particularly early development of the intraneuronal changes, indicating that advanced age is not a prerequisite for the evolution of the lesions. However, the mean of stages in the development of the specific neurofibrillary pathology increases with age. Alzheimer's disease is thus an age-related, not an age-dependent disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Braak
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Braak
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bohl
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reintjes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D016229:Amyloid beta-Peptides; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins