Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz-  ˈalts-  ˈȯlts- 

variants or less commonly Alzheimer disease

ˈälts-ˌhī-mər- 

ˈalts-,

ˈȯlts-

or Alzheimer's

: a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing beta-amyloid

Behavioral problems, such as mood swings and agitation, may also be a part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

—Allan Perel

… the ability to differentiate normal aging-related memory changes from the impairments associated with dementia, including Alzheimer disease …

—C. Munro Cullum

… researchers in California have created mice carrying the gene for beta-amyloid protein, the principal component of the plaques riddling the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

—Charlene Crabb

Note: Alzheimer's is often used before another noun.

Alzheimer's patients

—abbreviation AD

Examples of Alzheimer's disease in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Being a taxi or ambulance driver won't automatically protect against developing Alzheimer's disease or dying from it but frequent behaviors within those professions could reveal information about preventing the illness. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024

Neurologic Music Therapy Indications Remarkably, patients with Alzheimer's disease often have musical memory out of proportion to other aspects of their memory. —Mill Etienne, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Educate yourself and your family about Alzheimer's disease, including its impacts on emotions and cognition. —Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 13 Dec. 2024

According to the Mayo Clinic, early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common cause of dementia, include forgetting recent events or conversations. —Ingrid Vasquez, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Alois Alzheimer †1915 German physician

First Known Use

1911, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz  ˈalts- 

: a brain disease of later life that is characterized by changes in brain tissue with gradual loss of memory and mental abilities

called also Alzheimer's

Medical Definition

Alzheimer's disease

noun

Alz·​hei·​mer's disease ˈälts-ˌhī-mərz-  ˈȯlts-  ˈalts-  ˈalz- 

variants also Alzheimer disease

-mər 

or Alzheimer's

: a degenerative brain disease of unknown cause that is the most common form of dementia, that usually starts in late middle age or in old age, that results in progressive memory loss, impaired thinking, disorientation, and changes in personality and mood, that leads in advanced cases to a profound decline in cognitive and physical functioning, and that is marked histologically by the degeneration of brain neurons especially in the cerebral cortex and by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles and plaques containing beta-amyloid

Behavioral problems, such as mood swings and agitation, may also be a part of the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

—Allan Perel, The Staten Island (New York) Advance

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, affecting more than 15 million individuals worldwide.

—Niklas Mattsson et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association

… researchers in California have created mice carrying the gene for beta-amyloid protein, the principal component of the plaques riddling the brains of people with Alzheimer's.

—Charlene Crabb, U.S. News & World Report

—abbreviation AD