This research paper examines one of the most feared human diseases, namely Alzheimer's disease. In this research paper, the following topics are analyzed in depth: disease description, etiology and pathogenesis, pathophysiology, symptoms and signs, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, research and medical glossary. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is known to be one of the most common forms of dementia. Dementia is a general term used to refer to a wide variety of symptoms related to a decline in memory and cognitive abilities, severe enough to interfere with a person's ability to carry out normal daily activities. (Alzheimer's Association, n.d.). According to the Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's disease accounts for approximately 60 to 80 percent of all cases of dementia. (Markus MacGill, 2009) Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative brain disease that slowly and inexorably destroys nerve cells, causing memory loss and cognitive impairment. In the most severe case of Alzheimer's disease, the patient loses all mental functioning and memory. Thus, Alzheimer's disease mainly affects the brain and spreads to the different parts of the brain that control coordination, walking, speaking, etc. In 1906, a German doctor named Dr. Alois Alzheimer described Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Alois Alzheimer had a patient in her fifties who suffered from mental illness. However, in 1906 the patient died and an autopsy was performed. At autopsy, neuritic plaques were revealed around and outside the nerve cells in his brain. Within the nerve cells, there was a presence of neurofibrillary tangles, which are a buildup of proteins that appear as part of a normal aging process...... middle of paper ......ey. edu/~wuhsi /alz.htmlLatest drug for memory loss | Alzheimer’s Association. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_standard_prescriptions.asp AlzOnline: Cholinesterase inhibitors. (nd). Retrieved from http://alzonline.phhp.ufl.edu/en/reading/mmi_cholinesterase.phpAbout the brain. (nd). Retrieved from http://www.alzheimer.ca/en/About-dementia/About-the-brain MacGill, M. (April 22, 2014). "What is Alzheimer's disease? Causes, symptoms and treatment." Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/159442.Crystal, H. (nd). Symptoms, causes, treatment of Alzheimer's disease - What is the prognosis for someone with Alzheimer's disease? - MedicineNet. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/alzheimers_disease_causes_stages_and_symptoms/page7.htm#what_is_the_prognosis_for_a_person_with_alzheimers_disease