Alzheimer's disease

American  

[ahlts-hahy-merz, alts-, awlts-] / ˈɑlts haɪ mərz, ˈælts-, ˈɔlts- /

Or Alzheimer disease

noun

Pathology.

1. a common form of dementia, believed to be caused by changes in the brain, usually beginning in late middle age, characterized by memory lapses, confusion, emotional instability, and progressive loss of mental ability.

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Alzheimer's disease British  

/ ˈæltsˌhaɪməz /

noun

1. Often shortened to: Alzheimer's.  a disorder of the brain resulting in a progressive decline in intellectual and physical abilities and eventual dementia

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Alzheimer's disease Scientific  

/ äls′hī-mərz /

1. A progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, commonly affecting the elderly, and associated with the development of amyloid plaques in the cerebral cortex. It is characterized by confusion, disorientation, memory failure, speech disturbances, and eventual dementia. The cause is unknown. Alzheimer's disease is named for its identifier, German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915).

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Alzheimer's disease Cultural  

1. A disease in which mental capacity decreases because of the breakdown of brain cells.

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Discover More

Alzheimer's disease is a major cause of loss of intellectual function in middle-aged and elderly people.

Etymology

Origin of Alzheimer's disease

Named after Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915), German neurologist, who described it in 1907

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Alzheimer's disease

New research from Lund University has identified how specific risk factors are associated with Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, the two most common causes of dementia.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

The researchers also identified possible connections between certain risk factors and the proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026

Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia and currently affects more than seven million people in the United States.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

The compound could provide a starting point for research aimed at developing future Alzheimer's disease treatments.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026

I sit at a computer and look up everything I can find about Alzheimer’s disease.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina