Spirochete infections have also been linked to dementia. DNA damages accumulate in AD brains; reactive oxygen species may be the major source of this DNA damage.Sleep disturbances are seen as a possible risk factor for inflammation in Alzheimers disease. Sleep problems have been seen as a consequence of Alzheimers disease but studies suggest that they may instead be a causal factor. Sleep disturbances are thought to be linked to persistent inflammation. The cellular homeostasis of biometals such as ionic copper, iron, and zinc is disrupted in Alzheimers disease, though it remains unclear whether this is produced by or causes the changes in proteins. Smoking is a significant Alzheimers disease risk factor. Systemic markers of the innate immune system are risk factors for late-onset Alzheimers disease. Exposure to air pollution may be a contributing factor to the development of Alzheimers disease.One hypothesis posits that dysfunction of oligodendrocytes and their associated myelin during aging contributes to axon damage, which then causes amyloid production and tau hyper-phosphorylation as a side effect. Retrogenesis is a medical hypothesis that just as the fetus goes through a process of neurodevelopment beginning with neurulation and ending with myelination, the brains of people with Alzheimers disease go through a reverse neurodegeneration process starting with demyelination and death of axons (white matter) and ending with the death of grey matter.
In the benign form, no inner organs are affected. If an individual develops the malignant form, it means that not only are the papules present, but inner organs are involved. Most malignant cases involve problems of the gastrointestinal tract leading to small intestine lesions, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bowel perforation. If the central nervous system is involved, symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, seizures, paralysis of cranial nerves, weakness, stroke, damage to small areas of the brain due to artery blockage (cerebral infarcts, and cerebral hemorrhage). Additional organs commonly impacted include the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Symptoms that may develop from damage to these organs include double vision (diplopia), clouding of lenses of eyes, swelling of the optic disc (papilledema), partial loss of vision, shortness of breath, chest pain, epilepsy, and thickening of pericardium.Someone with the benign form may suddenly develop symptoms of the malignant form. Symptoms can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years. Onset of symptoms typically begins to manifest between the ages of 20–50. A few cases of this condition in newborns have also been described. Causes
The papules characteristic for this disease develop due to infarctions, or blockages in small-medium arteries and veins. The underlying cause is unknown for this disease. Though not confirmed, some cases have shown signs of inheritance between first-degree relatives. It has been suggested that the disease has a familial inheritance pattern; it is thought to be an autosomal dominant disorder.