[Clinical pattern of early phase of Alzheimer's disease]

Modern views are presented on the sequence of neuropathological changes in Alzheimer's disease and their correlation with clinical symptoms in early phase of that process. Attention is called to difficulties in interpretation of the influence of morphotic changes, such as neurofibrillary degeneration and senile plaques, on the progression of clinical symptoms. Data are compared as published by various authors suggesting a diversity of neuropsychological abnormalities manifesting themselves in the early phases of the disease. Genetic studies seem also to confirm the complexity of the Alzheimer process and they may explain the imperfection of clinical diagnostic methods used as yet.