Calcium Deregulation in Alzheimer’s Disease

The first ideas proposed by Zaven Khachaturian about the calcium (Ca2+) hypothesis of brain aging foster researchers into cellular and molecular mechanisms trying to explain Ca2+ alterations of brain function and cognitive deficits. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is dementia causally linked to aging, therefore Ca2+ cellular processes underlying aging-related impairments in the brain may share similarities to severe dementia, as in AD. The effective control of cytosolic Ca2+ is essential for the modulation of various processes and pathways of neuronal signaling, and its inefficiency or deregulation can lead to austere pathological conditions. This chapter shows pieces of evidence of Ca2+ deregulation in AD and its consequences, focusing on intrinsic properties of the neurons.

Keywords: Afterhyperpolarization, Aging, Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis, Dementia, Learning and Memory, Neurodegeneration, Neuronal Susceptibility.