Lipoic acid as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective tretment for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative brain disorder that gradually destroys a patient's memory and ability to learn, make judgments, communicate effectively, and perform day-to-day tasks. The short-term memory is affected first, caused by neuronal dysfunction and degeneration in the hippocampus and amygdala. As the disease progresses further, neurons also degenerate and die in other cortical regions of the brain (Stuchbury and Münch, 2005). Sufferers then often experience dramatic changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, paranoia, or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations (Cummings, 2004). The prevalence of AD in the age bracket of 65-69 years is 1%; 70-74 years, 3%; 75-79 years, 6%; 80-84 years, 12%, and for people aged 85 and over the prevalence is 25%.