We used liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) to survey frozen brain samples from clinically characterized AD patients and age-matched controls. In the present study, we utilized a lipidomic approach to identify novel lipid alterations in brain tissue of subjects with AD. Moreover, post mortem analyses of frozen brain samples have documented the existence of multiple lipid abnormalities in AD patients, including changes in ceramides, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and PUFA-derived signaling lipids, ,,. For example, the inheritance of certain isoforms of the lipid-carrier protein, apolipoprotein E (ApoE), is known to increase the risk of AD. In particular, there is evidence suggesting a link between alterations in lipid metabolism and AD. Nevertheless, it is clear that the development of AD can be influenced by a variety of age-related conditions that are closely associated with systemic dysfunctions in metabolism – including obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis. It is still unknown how aging interacts with other risk factors of AD – such as abnormal accumulation of Aβ peptides and hyperphosphorylated tau protein in the brain. Age is the most important factor that predisposes persons to the non-familial (‘sporadic’) form of this disease, which affects an estimated 35 million of elderly people worldwide. Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of adult dementia, is characterized by progressive memory impairment, deterioration of language, and visuospatial deficits.

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