Scientists believe that, for most people, Alzheimer's results from a combination of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors that affect the brain over time. Alzheimer's is caused by specific genetic changes that virtually guarantee a person will develop the disease. The causal effect of this disease is still unknown with fingers pointing to plaques and tangles in the brain. Although the causes of Alzheimer's are not yet fully understood, its effects on the brain are clear. Alzheimer's disease damages and kills brain cells. A brain affected by Alzheimer's disease has many fewer cells and many fewer connections between surviving cells than a healthy brain. As more and more brain cells die, Alzheimer's leads to enormous shrinkage of the brain. When doctors examined Alzheimer's brain tissue under a microscope, they saw two types of abnormalities that are considered to cause the disease. One of these abnormalities is plaque buildup, a protein called beta-amyloid that damages and destroys brain cells. In Alzheimer's patients, the plaques created interfere with cell-cell communication. The other abnormality observed is tangles in the brain. Brain cells depend on an internal support and transportation system to carry nutrients and other essential materials across their long extensions. This system requires the normal structure and function of a protein called tau. In an Alzheimer's patient, strands of the tau protein become twisted into abnormal tangles inside the brain cells, leading to failure of the transport system. (Alzheimer's Association) (National Institutes of Health, 2012)There are three stages to Alzheimer's and you need to be aware of the important signs and symptoms. Attention must be paid, for example, to c...... middle of paper...... Furthermore, Alzheimer's patients have difficulty understanding visual images and spatial relationships. In terms of perception, they may walk past a mirror and think that someone else is in the room with them. They often have difficulty recognizing their own reflection. (Alzheimer's Association) (Mayo Clinic)Works CitedAlzheimer's Association. (n.d.). Alzheimer's Association. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from the Alzheimer's Association: http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.aspMayo Clinic. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved April 21, 2014, from Alzheimer's Disease: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/alzheimers-disease/basics/definition/con-20023871National Institutes of Health. (2012, September). Alzheimer's disease fact sheet. Retrieved from the National Institute on Aging: http://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/publication/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet