Effect of amyloid beta-peptide on synaptic plasticity in the Hippocampus in vitro

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease, the cause of one of the most common types of dementia, is a brain disorder affecting the elderly and is characterized by the formation of two main protein aggregates: senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. The pathogenesis mechanism of AD is not yet established. However, several lines of evidence indicate that AD may be due, at least in part, the accelerated deposition of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), which constitute a principal component of senile plaques.