Final answer:
Alzheimer's disease is named after the psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer, not an acronym. It involves amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles causing cognitive decline, with no cure available and treatments that may only slow progression.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Alzheimer's disease is an acronym is false. Alzheimer's disease is actually named after Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist, who first described the condition in 1906 after studying the brain tissue of a deceased patient who exhibited memory loss, confusion, and difficulties understanding language. Characteristics of Alzheimer's disease include the presence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, as well as hippocampal atrophy, leading to severe cognitive decline. There is currently no cure for Alzheimer's, although some treatments such as cholinesterase inhibitors like Aricept may slow its progression.