Alzheimer's disease(AD)is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognition impairment and behavioral abnormalities.While the mechanisms involved in AD remain unclear,various hypotheses have been proposed regarding pathogenesis of AD,among which the oxidative stress hypothesis has attracted more and more attention.In the present article,the relationship between oxidative stress and AD is reviewed,including sources of neuronal oxygen radical generation,the link of oxidative stress to pathogenesis of AD,preclinical and clinical studies of AD,therapeutic effects of antioxidants and phosphodiesterase inhibitors on AD.