**6. Pathophysiology**

The primary neuropathologic symptoms of AD include extracellular amyloid plaques, intracellular NFTs, synaptic deterioration, and neuronal death. Without detecting granulovacuolar degeneration in the hippocampus or amyloid buildup in blood vessels (congophilicangiopathy), the diagnosis can be made. According to the "amyloid cascade" idea, amyloid plaques interfere with synaptic transmission and trigger a series of following processes that eventually cause cell death.
