tau tangles

Tau tangles are twisted bundles of a protein called tau that form inside brain cells, particularly in Alzheimer's disease. Normally, tau helps stabilize the cell's internal support structure (microtubules), but in disease, it becomes abnormal and clumps together into these tangled fibers. These tangles disrupt the cell's function, impair communication between brain cells, and contribute to memory loss and cognitive decline. Tau tangles are a key feature of Alzheimer's and related disorders, reflecting the underlying damage to brain cells caused by the disease process.