Sharp Wave Ripples in Alzheimer's Disease: In Search of Mechanisms

Abstract

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia. The disease is associated with the presence of plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, which leads to synaptic and neuronal degeneration and progressive learning and memory impairment (Spires-Jones and Hyman, 2014). Work of the last decades has produced a variety of diagnostic tools and treatment alternatives, yet the mechanisms underlying the disease are poorly understood, and interventions are still minimally effective, possibly in part because they are started after irreversible damage has been done. Identifying early markers of AD might therefore advance therapeutic development and effectiveness.