Forgetting to Remember: Memory Dysfunction in Alzheimer's Disease

Summary

This project delves into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying memory formation, retention, and the pathological forgetting associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Memory formation involves encoding, storage, and retrieval processes facilitated by synaptic plasticity, which allows neurons to strengthen or weaken their connections based on activity. In Alzheimer's disease, this process is disrupted, leading to significant memory loss and cognitive decline. Alzheimer's is characterized by the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain, which disrupt neural communication and lead to cell death. The hippocampus, crucial for memory, is particularly affected, leading to early symptoms like memory loss and confusion. As the disease progresses, it spreads to other brain regions, further impairing cognitive and bodily functions. While there is no cure for Alzheimer's, treatments like cholinesterase inhibitors can manage symptoms in the early stages. Physical exercise, particularly aerobic and resistance training, has shown potential in improving cognitive function and delaying the onset of symptoms. Ongoing research focuses on early diagnosis and novel therapies, including drug trials aimed at reducing tau aggregation and beta-amyloid plaques, offering hope for future advancements in Alzheimer's treatment.

Healthy brain on left and Alzheimer’s disease severe brain on right. (Figure representation created by the authors)

Protein Tau assembles on healthy microtubules on top and misfolded protein. (Figure representation created by the authors)

Video Presentation

Impact Statement

Hi, my name is Evangeline and I attend Cheltenham Ladies' College in England. I have a particular interest in biology, and I joined Elio's neuroscience course in order to understand more about the brain's various functions as well as learn how to write a high-quality research paper. My classmate and I focused on research linked to memory formation and forgetting and how that ties in to Alzheimer's disease, and through this project and the online classes in the duration of the course, I grew an even deeper interest for neuroscience. I liked how we weren't limited to the topics within neuroscience that we were especially interested in for our research project, and I also learned about lots of other subtopics within neuroscience. Overall, the program was very intriguing and fun, and I hope to learn even more about biology in the future.

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_By: Evangeline Leung_

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Elio Academy.

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