History of Alzheimer's

Since ancient times, it has been clear that some people lose mental sharpness (cognitive function) as they age. But it was not until 1906 that Alzheimer's disease was discovered.



That year, German neurologist Alois Alzheimer (1864-1915) performed a neurological autopsy on the brain of a 56-year-old woman, Auguste D., of Frankfurt. She had died after several years of progressive mental deterioration marked by increasing confusion and memory loss.



Taking advantage of a then-new staining technique, Alzheimer noticed an odd disorganization of the nerve cells in her cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and memory. The cells were bunched up like a rope tied in knots. He called the strange nerve bundles "neurofibrillary tangles." He also noted an unexpected accumulation of cellular debris around the affected nerves, which he termed "senile plaques." In a medical journal article published in 1907, Alzheimer speculated that the nerve tangles and plaques were responsible for the women's dementia.



A few years later, as more autopsies of individuals with severe dementia showed the same cerebral abnormalities, one of the foremost German psychiatrists of that era, Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926), suggested naming the disease in honor of his countryman, Alzheimer.

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