Which statement best describes Alzheimer's disease?

• A. Primary problem: Autoimmune attack on myelin
• B. Primary problem: Loss of dopamine neurons
• C. Primary problem: Neuronal death and synaptic loss; Pathology: Amyloid plaques, tau tangles; Symptoms: Memory loss, cognitive decline; Not a myelin disorder
• D. Primary problem: Formation of Lewy bodies

Answer: (C)

Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative process where neurons die and connections between them are lost, especially in brain networks used for memory and thinking. This degeneration is driven by specific brain pathologies: extracellular amyloid-beta plaques and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles. These changes disrupt neural communication and lead to the progressive memory impairment and cognitive decline that characterize the illness. This description makes clear that it is not a myelin disorder like some autoimmune conditions, nor a disease defined by loss of dopamine neurons as in Parkinson’s, nor one centered on Lewy bodies.