How does the aging process lead to neurodegenerative diseases? Research shows that neuroinflammation may play a key role. Press play to learn:

1. What a Tau protein is and how it plays a role in Alzheimer's disease
2. How Alzheimer's disease is diagnosed
3. How amyloid plaques alter your brain

Professor of neuroscience and anatomy Gorin Šimić joins the conversation to discuss Alzheimer's disease and Dementia.

Research shows that amyloid present in the brain for a short time can be beneficial, but if present for too long, can cause neurodegeneration. This has been discovered through a shift in the understanding of Dementia and has re-worked the criteria for diagnosis.

Since Alzheimer's disease cannot be solved by evolution or natural selection, lifestyle can play a role until a certain age. However, past a certain point, genetic factors are the key in determining the onset of degenerative diseases.