This is a common, progressive degenerative disease that usually manifests itself with subtle memory loss and forgetfulness. It frequently progresses to impair an individual's capacity for independent thought and function. It is characterized by abnormal accumulations of amyloid-beta protein (figure). Five million people currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease in the United States.
This is a common, progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by degeneration of neurons that produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. It is characterized by tremor, slowed movement, stiffness and difficulty walking. It is associated with abnormal accumulations of alpha-synuclein protein (figure). As many as 1.5 million Americans suffer from Parkinson's disease.
The most frequent cause of nontraumatic neurologic disability arising in young adulthood, this autoimmune neurodegenerative disease is triggered by genetic and environmental factors. It is associated with the destruction of neuronal myelin sheaths (figure). Multiple sclerosis strikes about 100 people per 100,000 and affects women twice as frequently as men.
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal disease with profound neurological and behavioral features. HD is typically characterized by uncontrollable movements and psychological disturbances. It is caused by a detectable genetic mutation (figure) that can be passed from generation to generation. Currently, there are no treatments for HD or ability to slow its progression.
ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that results from the death of motor neurons (figure). A progressive loss of muscle control impairs the individual's capacity for independent function. The cause of ALS, which afflicts about 30,000 adult Americans, is unknown.
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) accounts for 18% of dementias in people under 65 years old. It frequently manifests itself as a behavioral disturbance, and can progress to impair an individual's capacity for independent thought and function. Recent studies have uncovered genetic factors that contribute to FTD, however no treatment yet exists to block the brain deterioration it causes.
These are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by an agent known as a "prion" (figure). Prions were discovered by Dr. Stanley Prusiner of the IND, who received a Nobel Prize for this work. Prions in animals cause diseases such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (also known as "mad cow disease"). In humans, they cause a rapidly progressive form of dementia known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD).
