The Neurobiology of Alzheimer's Disease

Catalog description

Memories are, arguably, our most prized possessions. They are an integral part of our identities and influence our choices and decisions. The unraveling of memories that occurs in Alzheimer’s makes this neurodegenerative disease so particularly devastating for the patient and for their friends and family. More than five million Americans are currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, with an expectation that this number will continue to rise in the upcoming decades. While there is no current cure, our understanding of the disease and its underlying mechanisms has greatly expanded in recent years. This course will explore the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease, its progression, risk factors, neural circuits involved, molecular pathways involved, the current status of drug discovery, and the disease’s greater impact on society. In the process, we will also discuss the larger questions of what is known about where memories and attention are stored in the brain. Students will volunteer for 20 hours over the course of the semester at the local Alzheimer’s Association chapter of Hudson valley to meet achieve their civic engagement. This course is a Biology elective course and is designed to fulfill the writing enhanced and civic engagement requirements (formerly AOK1).