The Second Edition of this chart defines Alzheimer's disease and discusses the aging brain, dementia, and diagnosing Alzheimer's disease. It lists risk factors, describes the three main stages of Alzheimer's disease, and provides key management techniques for both patients and their families and caregivers. The chart illustrates and discusses the areas of the brain affected by the disease, amyloid plaques (also called senile plaques), and physical changes to the cerebral cortex. It shows and describes the abnormal cellular structures involved (granulovacuolar degeneration and neurofibrillary tangles) and explains how Alzheimer's disease destroys the way neurons "talk" to each other.