Final answer:
Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, is falsely attributed to the normal aging process. It is characterized by specific pathological changes in the brain, such as amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, rather than the general changes associated with biological aging.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claim that dementia is a result of the normal process of aging is false. While aging does come with many challenges and changes both biologically and cognitively, not all elderly individuals will develop dementia. Dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, involves specific changes in the brain such as amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and a significant loss of neurons, especially in the hippocampus, which are not considered part of normal aging.
Alzheimer's disease, initially studied by Solomon Carter Fuller, is named after Alois Alzheimer, a psychiatrist who first described the disease after noticing abnormal clumps and tangled fibers in the brain of a deceased patient. Since then, our understanding of the disease has expanded, recognizing that while age is a risk factor, the disease itself has a genetic basis in some cases, especially early-onset Alzheimer's. Moreover, various environmental and nutritional factors can influence the risk, and treatments such as cognitive rehabilitation may offer some hope for those with mild cognitive impairment.