beta-amyloid plaques (IMAGE) DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Caption This illustration shows the two main forms of disruptive protein clumps seen in the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease: beta-amyloid plaques (seen in brown) that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function, and tau protein tangles (seen in blue) that build up within neurons, harming synaptic activity. Credit National Institute on Aging, NIH Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.