Hippocampus vulnerable in Alzheimer's

Miami Herald
Q. Why does Alzheimer's disease cause more recent memories to disappear first?

A. According to the National Institute on Aging, www.nia.nih.gov:

Multiple areas of the brain are responsible for memory-associated functions such as processing information and creating and recalling memories. Deep within the brain, new memories are formed and stored in the hippocampus and associated structures. Then, in a process called consolidation, memories are stored for the long-term throughout the cortex, the outermost layer of the brain.

"Recent memory is affected first in AD because the hippocampus and nearby entorhinal cortex are the first brain areas damaged by the disease. As a result, a person with AD may remember every detail of a childhood event but be unable to recall something that happened yesterday or an hour ago. This pattern of damage also can lead to confusion about the past and present. A person may think a long-deceased relative is still alive, for example, because.....read the whole article

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