Modeling the Calcium Dysregulation Hypothesis of Alzheimer's Disease

Several types of neural plasticity must be perfectly orchestrated for a proper functioning of biological neural networks. In this work we present a computer simulation of the Alzheimer's Disease, taking into account one of the most accepted models of Alzheimer's Disease: the calcium dysregulation hypothesis. According to Cudmore and Turrigiano calcium dysregulation alters the shifting dynamic of the neuron’s activation function (intrinsic plasticity). We propose that this alteration might affect the stability of synaptic weights in which memories are stored. This hypothesis was simulated using a biologically plausible artificial neural network. The results of the simulation supported the theoretical hypothesis. In this way, intrinsic neuronal plasticity impairment due to calcium dysregulation might justify the emergence of Alzheimer's disease's symptoms such as memory loss and learning problems. Key-Words: Artificial Neural Networks, Computer Simulation, Alzheimer's Disease, Calcium Hypothesis, Neural Plasticity, MatLAB