caa a22 4500 46789678X CHVBK 20180406152806.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170328e20061201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s11019-006-9005-7 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s11019-006-9005-7 What is a genetic cause? The example of Alzheimer's Disease [Elektronische Daten] [Wim Dekkers, Marcel Rikkert] This paper focuses on the causation of diseases, particularly on the idea of a "genetic cause” taking Alzheimer's Disease (AD) as an example. We (1) provide some historical information and a synopsis of the current knowledge on the etiology and pathogenesis of AD, (2) analyse some conceptual problems related to the notion of "genetic disease” (3) elaborate on the alleged (genetic) cause of AD, and (4) place the discussion on the cause of AD in a broader philosophical context, paying attention to a constructivist perspective, the notions of causal connection and causal selection, and to some practical and normative consequences of our analysis. We conclude (a) that AD is not a specific disease entity with one specific cause, (b) that the idea of a single (sufficient) cause can still function as a heuristic tool in AD research and practice, and (c) that a "belief” in causation can go together with the notions of multicausality and probability. Springer Science+Business Media, Inc., 2006 Alzheimer's Disease nationallicence causation nationallicence genetics nationallicence neuropathology nationallicence Dekkers Wim Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands aut Rikkert Marcel Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre/Alzheimer Centre Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands aut Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Springer Netherlands 9/3(2006-12-01), 273-284 1386-7423 9:3<273 2006 9 11019 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-006-9005-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-006-9005-7 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Dekkers Wim Department of Ethics, Philosophy and History of Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Rikkert Marcel Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre/Alzheimer Centre Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy Springer Netherlands 9/3(2006-12-01), 273-284 1386-7423 9:3<273 2006 9 11019 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer