ed in younger patients, those as young as forty. It has been found to be associated with gene mutations on chromosomes 21, 14, and 1 (Richards and Hendrie, p. 789). Late-onset Alzheimer's, which typically does not afflict patients until the age of sixty-five, has been found to occur more frequently in those carrying the APOE[Epsilon]4 allele on chromosome 19, though this is not a certain indicator of the disease (Richard and Hendrie, p. 789). These genetic mutations may result in a defective form of beta amyloid (Carlson, p. 432) or overproduction of the beta amyloid precursor protein (Sloane, p. 1577), which in turn is the cause of some of the physical deterioration in the brain.
However, there are other possible causes of beta amyloid accumulation that may include head injuries and/or infections, excessive use of alcohol and/or other drugs, exposure to toxic substances, and misfunction of the immune system. Other theories suggest causes that may or may not be associated with beta amyloid, such as: damage to the brain's arteries fro
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