What term describes the accumulation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer disease?

The term that best describes the accumulation of amyloid plaques in Alzheimer disease is "senile plaques." These plaques are primarily composed of beta-amyloid peptides, which aggregate and form clumps in the brain, disrupting cell function and triggering various pathological processes associated with Alzheimer's disease.

Understanding this term is important in recognizing the characteristics of Alzheimer's as it highlights the specific type of brain anomaly frequently examined in the context of the disease. The presence of senile plaques is a hallmark of Alzheimer's pathology and is often used to diagnose the condition during autopsy or advanced imaging techniques.

While other terms like neuronal degeneration, neuroinflammation, and neurofibrillary tangles are relevant to Alzheimer’s disease and its progression, they refer to different aspects of the condition. Neuronal degeneration pertains to the loss of nerve cells, neuroinflammation describes the brain's inflammatory response, and neurofibrillary tangles refer to another type of abnormal protein aggregation involving tau protein. Each of these plays a role in the overall pathology of Alzheimer's but does not specifically denote the accumulation of amyloid plaques as effectively as "senile plaques" does.