Amyloid and tau cascade (simplified)
A simplified drawing of how amyloid and tau are often described in Alzheimer’s disease. Real brains are messier, and mixed pathology is common.
Overview
The cascade is a research frame: amyloid accumulation, then tau spread, then synaptic failure. Antibodies act on amyloid. Tau drugs are mostly still in trials. Vascular and Lewy pathology can sit on the same diagram in a real person.
Analogy
Think of amyloid as clutter that builds up first, and tau as the wiring that fails later. The drawing is a teaching sketch, not a complete biology textbook.
Diagram
top- Anti-amyloid antibodies act at plaques.
- Cholinesterase inhibitors act later, on signalling, not on this cascade.
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