Last Updated on March 22, 2022 by Shabnam Sengupta
No. The exact cause of Alzheimer’s disease is not yet known. Although the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain is the most common reason, it is not the only one for Alzheimer’s disease.
It was believed that apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene forms amyloid plaque. Researchers have shown that APOE 4 and APOE 3 are responsible for the maximum Alzheimer’s disease cases, whereas APOE 2 provides some protection against this disease. APOE gene induces the formation of amyloid plaque in the brain cells causing them to shrink and die.
A lot of research has been going on to find causes of Alzheimer’s disease. As Alzheimer’s disease has both early and late onset, researchers believe APOE gene cannot be the only reason. Many studies have shown that Tau tangles, Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) and Presenilin 2 (PSEN2) are also responsible for Alzheimer’s disease in people with no APOE gene.
Besides this, the late onset of Alzheimer’s disease occurs due to Parkinson’s disease, mild cognitive impairment and other neurological conditions. These medical conditions have different causes that make Alzheimer’s disease a difficult condition to handle and research upon. Amyloid plaque is one reason that targets maximum cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanism behind other causes that affect Alzheimer’s disease.
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