Alzheimer’s disease may damage the brain in two phases, according to new research published in Nature Neuroscience on Monday.

"The results fundamentally alter scientists' understanding of how Alzheimer's harms the brain," researchers say.

Alzheimer’s Disease May Damage the Brain in Two Phases - NIH Study Uncovers Which Cell Types May Be Harmed First

Heparin treatment was associated with a delayed diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia, electronic health records in two U.S. health systems showed. ( Molecular Psychiatry) Analyses of cell types after death suggested that Alzheimer's disease damages the brain in two distinct phases. ( Nature Neuroscience)

Alzheimer’s disease may damage the brain in two distinct phases, based on new research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) using sophisticated brain mapping tools. According to researchers who discovered this new view,

New research suggests the disease occurs in two phases, including one in which changes happen gradually – and 'quietly.'