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Senile plaques, or amyloids, are protein deposits that form outside brain cells and are a key diagnostic finding in Alzheimer’s disease. They can interfere with brain function and increase after age 60, especially in women. Researchers are studying ways to prevent and treat plaque formation. Plaques can cause cognitive decline, memory loss, difficulty speaking, physical symptoms, and mood changes.
Senile plaques are deposits of protein that form outside the brain cells. The protein clumps characteristically and can be clearly seen under microscopic examination of a patient sample. Senile plaques, along with tangles, are two key diagnostic findings in people with Alzheimer’s disease and can also be seen in some other degenerative neurological conditions. They are commonly discovered in autopsies of the elderly, and the risk of having plaques increases significantly after age 60, especially among women.
The protein that forms senile plaques is known as amyloid-beta (a-beta) protein. Plaques are also called amyloids. Amyloids can also form in other parts of the body, as seen in the condition amyloidosis. The protein is believed to have neurotoxic properties that contribute to cognitive degeneration. In addition, senile plaques can physically interfere with the conduction of signals in the brain and can push brain tissue aside, disrupting the patient’s normal brain function.
Plaques have been seen in brain tissue since the late 1800s, and researchers began linking them to cognitive decline in the 20th century. Researchers working on conditions such as Alzheimer’s realized that all patients shared traits such as the presence of plaques and tangles in the brain, as noted in autopsies of patients after their deaths. Senile plaques can also be identified on brain biopsies, although because biopsies are invasive, they are not usually recommended. Patients who appear to develop symptoms of senility will be treated for senility without a biopsy.
Understanding how senile plaques form may help researchers develop approaches to treating people with conditions like Alzheimer’s. In addition to working on pharmaceuticals that could slow, halt or reverse plaque formation, the researchers are also interested in finding ways to prevent plaque development in the first place. Numerous facilities around the world are studying the development of senility and the ways it can be addressed, as improvements in medical care have increased life expectancy and consequently increased the chances that people will live long enough to develop cognitive degeneration.
In patients with senile plaques, brain function is gradually eroded as the plaques form and spread. Depending on the location of the plaques, different types of cognitive function may be impaired. Patients may lose their memory, have difficulty speaking, and develop physical symptoms such as tremors and an unsteady gait. Senile plaques may also contribute to the development of mood changes such as aggression and depression in the elderly.
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