阿滋海默症(Alzheimer's disease)
大脑退化的疾病，发展於成年人中、晚期，导致渐进而无法挽回的记忆衰退和其他不同的认知功能退化。该症主要病变是大脑皮质（cerebral cortex）中的神经细胞和中性接合坏死。阿滋海默症是最常见的痴呆（dementia）形式。此症的症状有：健忘而逐渐记忆力丧失；语言、感觉、运动技巧变差；情绪不稳定；最後病人会变得没有反应、失去身体功能的活动和控制能力；终至死亡。但典型的时间是五～十年。本病最早由德国神经病理学家阿滋海默（Alois Alzheimer）在1906年所提出。他在一个五十五岁死於严重痴呆的屍检病例中发现。阿滋海默症被认为是造成「老年痴呆」（senile dementia）的病因，还曾被认为是老化引起的。家族性阿滋海默症约占总数的10%，发病年龄在六十岁以下。多发性灶状神经炎和神经原纤维缠结是屍检病理诊断根据。对於这个病，目前尚未有效治疗方法，主要是对症治疗，如抗抑郁、纠正行为障碍、安眠等。
English version：
Alzheimer's disease
Degenerative brain disorder of middle to late adult life that destroys neurons and connections in the cerebral cortex, resulting in significant loss of brain mass. The most common form of dementia, Alzheimer's disease progresses from short-term memory impairment to further memory loss; deterioration of language, perceptual, and motor skills; mood instability; and, in advanced stages, unresponsiveness, with loss of mobility and control of body functions; death typically ensues in 5-10 years. Originally described in 1906 by the German neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) in a 55-year-old and regarded as a presenile dementia, Alzheimer's disease is now recognized as accounting for the senile dementia once thought normal with aging. The 10% of cases that begin before age 60 result from an inherited mutation. Neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain on autopsy are the primary features used for diagnosis. No cure has been found. Most treatment targets the depression, behavioral problems, and sleeplessness that often accompany the disease.