Shown here is a normal nerve cell. In Alzheimer's disease the nerve cell is abnormal. Averback (1981) reported massive bloating and death of neurons in certain parts of the brain, particularly the NAP (nucleus ansae peduncularis). The cells were filled with fat and pigment. The pigment was similar to lipofuscin.
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This is another clipart from Neuroscience for Kids. The ventricles are enlarged in both Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia, but this enlargement is more striking in Alzheimer's. The enlargement is due to the loss of brain tissue caused by the deaths of cells.
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Shown here is a coronal section through the mid-brain, or mesencephalon. The raphe nuclei are shown here. They are now known to contain serotonin.
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Shown here are astrocytes. This drawing is from an oriental website which appears to be Chinese. Why this illustration is in English is not clear, but the text was in Chinese.
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Shown here is a brilliant 19th century drawing of the brain by Braune, who came before Alzheimer. Braune was also German. One theory for Alzheimer's disease, and the Russians have produced evidence for this, is that a toxic factor is present in the blood, and probably also in the cerebrospinal fluid. This toxin may cause the disease. There is a similar theory for schizophrenia and also for Huntington's chorea. These theories are very strong.
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This is another clipart from Neuroscience for Kids. The brain is split showing important midline structures, including the corpus callosum.
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In 1907 Alois Alzheimer published his famous paper on what is now called Alzheimer's disease. He found senile plaques using a silver stain.
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Shown here is a book about the history of the disease. The book is in French. Shown on the cover is Alois Alzheimer himself. The clipart is from a French website.
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Shown here is a transverse section of the mid-brain. The substantia nigra, which is high in both dopamine and neuromelanin, is shown. The clipart is from a 1918 drawing by Lewis.
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This clipart of the hind-brain and mid-brain is from Yahoo! Reference, which is a very valuable website. Reports have appeared of altered (slow) cerebral glucose metabolism in the brain in Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, and depression. These findings may be very significant since the brain runs on glucose, much like a car runs on gasoline.
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