Neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.

Neuropathologic studies have done much to define the range of disorders that may underlie dementia. By far, the most important disease entity is Alzheimer's disease, with its characteristic neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques. The neuropathologic distinction between Alzheimer's disease, particularly in its early stages, and normal aging is a subject of intense interest, attracting considerable current research activity. The neuropathologic substrate of other entities that may lead to dementia is extensive and, in the absence of biologic markers for most of these disorders, postmortem examination remains the only definitive method for establishing a diagnosis.