Tag: neurological inflammation

The human brain is one of the most intricate and resilient organs in the body, containing an estimated 86 billion neurons that coordinate everything from basic motor functions to complex thought processes. Yet, despite its sophistication, the brain is not immune to injury, aging, or environmental insults. The idea of losing brain cells may conjure alarming images of cognitive decline, memory loss, or neurological disease, but what does this really mean? Can you lose brain cells in everyday life, and if so, are they gone forever? To answer these questions, we must delve into the science of brain cell loss, explore the mechanisms behind it, and examine what modern research reveals about the brain's ability to recover.

Alzheimer's disease, one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders globally, affects millions of people and places a substantial burden on individuals, families, and healthcare systems. Central to the pathology of Alzheimer's are two protein abnormalities: amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles composed of tau protein. These biological hallmarks serve not only as diagnostic indicators but also as key contributors to disease progression. Over the last few decades, scientists have extensively investigated how amyloid beta and tau proteins interact to form these plaques and tangles in the brain, attempting to untangle their roles in memory loss, cognitive decline, and neuronal dysfunction. While our understanding of Alzheimer's continues to evolve, much of the conversation surrounding the disease hinges on decoding what causes amyloid plaques, how tau tangles develop, and the implications of these abnormalities on brain health