Final answer:
A typical symptom of Alzheimer's disease is disruptive memory loss, along with other cognitive impairments that affect daily living. The progression and persistence of these symptoms are key in diagnosing Alzheimer's, which also involves amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain.
Step-by-step explanation:
One typical symptom of Alzheimer's disease is disruptive memory loss. This condition is characterized by a decline in cognitive abilities that significantly impairs daily living and involves symptoms such as confusion about time or place, difficulty planning or executing tasks, poor judgment, and personality changes. In addition, problems with the sense of smell can serve as an early indicator of the disease. However, it is crucial to note that the severity and persistence of these symptoms help to distinguish the normal aging process from Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is one of the most common forms of dementia and is closely associated with the formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles within the brain, which lead to neuron degeneration, particularly in the hippocampus.