senile dementia of the Alzheimer type
Last edited 05/2022 and last reviewed 06/2022
Senile dementia is a term used to describe an Alzheimer type of dementia that occurs in the elderly. Usually the condition begins after the age of 70.
Pathologically the changes are the same as seen in pre-senile Alzheimer's disease. On gross examination, the brain is shrunken with widened sulci and enlarged ventricles. Histological examination reveals cell loss, especially in the outer cortical cell layers. On silver staining, there is shown to be plaques throughout the cortical and subcortical grey matter. With electron microscope examination, the senile plaques are seen to have a central core of amyloid surrounded by abnormal neurites.
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