Senile plaques

Senile plaques (syn. neuritic plaques, senile druse, braindruse) are extracellular deposits of beta amyloid in the gray matter of the brain. Degenerative neural structures and an abundance of microglia and astrocytes can be associated with senile plaque deposits. These deposits can also be a byproduct of senescence, or biological aging, however large numbers of senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are characteristic features of Alzheimer’s disease.