What are the macroscopic and microscopic features of the brain that are typical in Alzheimer disease? Normally the changes in brain with age is it weighs less, widening of the cerebral sulci, narrowing of the gyri, and enlargement of the ventricles.

But, with AD these normal changes are greatly accelerated, in addition to the brain weighing even less[Ign17]. With AD there is noticeable atrophy of the cerebral cortex and loss of cortical neurons. Comparison to others at the same age, a AD patient will have cerebral sulci, fissures, and ventricles are atrophied more so. Microscopic change of the brain includes neurofibrillary tangles (seen in autopsy), amyloid-rich senile or neuritic plaques and granulovacuolar degeneration[Ign17]. The neurofibrillary tangles are tangled masses of frribous tissue through the neurons. The neuritic plaques are degenerating nerve terminal in the hippocampus, resulting in an increase amounts of abnormal proteins, beta amyloid.