We now know that Alzheimer’s begins with an accumulation of a protein fragment called beta-amyloid in the sufferer’s brain. Nobody is quite sure what amyloids do for us when they are working properly, but it is thought they may have a role in forming memories. In any case, they are normally cleared away after they have been used and are no longer needed. In Alzheimer’s victims, however, they aren’t flushed away but accumulate in clusters known as plaques and stop the brain from functioning as it should.
