What are the characteristic changes in the brain of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease?
1. Increased acetylcholine (Ach) and decreased GABA and serotonin levels.
2. Cortical atrophy with plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, impairing conduction.
3. Obstruction of many small arteries and arterioles throughout the cerebral cortex.
4. Vacuoles forming in the neurons, rapidly destroying them.