| Alzheimer's disease (AD), also known simply as | | | | preeminent Emil Kraepelin in Munich, Germany. |
| Alzheimer's, is a neurodegenerative disease | | | | Kraepelin was the author of a leading textbook in |
| characterized by progressive cognitive deterioration | | | | psychiatry and was a strong believer that |
| together with declining activities of daily living and | | | | neuropathology could be linked to clinical psychiatric |
| neuropsychiatric symptoms or behavioral changes. It | | | | function. Early in April 1906, Auguste D. died, and |
| is the most common type of dementia. | | | | Alzheimer worked with two Italian physicians to |
| The most striking early symptom is loss of short | | | | examine her anatomy and neuropathology. On |
| term memory (amnesia), which usually manifests as | | | | November 3, 1906, he presented Auguste D.'s case |
| minor forgetfulness that becomes steadily more | | | | to the 37th Assembly of Southwest German |
| pronounced with illness progression, with relative | | | | Psychiatrists and described the neurofibrillary tangles |
| preservation of older memories. As the disorder | | | | and amyloid plaques that have come to be |
| progresses, cognitive (intellectual) impairment extends | | | | considered the hallmark of the disease. Kraepelin |
| to the domains of language (aphasia), skilled | | | | would later write about this case and others in his |
| movements (apraxia), recognition (agnosia), and | | | | Textbook for Students and Doctors and index them |
| those functions (such as decision-making and planning) | | | | under "Alzheimer's disease". By 1910, this |
| closely related to the frontal and temporal lobes of | | | | denomination for the disease was well established |
| the brain as they become disconnected from the | | | | among the specialist community. [2] |
| limbic system, reflecting extension of the underlying | | | | For most of the twentieth century, the diagnosis of |
| pathological process. These changes make up the | | | | Alzheimer's disease was reserved for individuals |
| essential human qualities, and thus AD is sometimes | | | | between the ages of 45-65 who developed |
| described as a disease where the victims suffer the | | | | symptoms of presenile dementia due to the |
| loss of qualities that define human existence. | | | | histopathologic process discovered by Dr. Alzheimer |
| This pathological process consists principally of | | | | (see below for description of brain tissue changes). |
| neuronal loss or atrophy, principally in the | | | | During this time senile dementia itself (as a set of |
| temporoparietal cortex, but also in the frontal cortex, | | | | symptoms) was considered to be a more or less |
| together with an inflammatory response to the | | | | normal outcome of the aging process, and thought |
| deposition of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary | | | | to be due to age-related brain arterial "hardening." In |
| tangles. | | | | the 1970s and early 1980s, because the symptoms |
| The ultimate cause of the disease is unknown. | | | | and brain pathology were identical for Alzheimer |
| Genetic factors are known to be important, and | | | | victims older and younger than age 65, the name |
| dominant mutations in three different genes have | | | | "Alzheimer's disease" began to be used, within and |
| been identified that account for a much smaller | | | | outside the medical profession, equally for afflicted |
| number of cases of familial, early-onset AD. For the | | | | individuals of all ages, although in this period the term |
| more common form of late onset AD (LOAD), two | | | | senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) was |
| susceptibility genes have been identified: ApoE and | | | | often used to distinguish those over 65 who did not |
| SORL1, or SORL1.[1]. | | | | fit the classical age criterion. Eventually, the term |
| In 1901, Dr. Alois Alzheimer, a German psychiatrist, | | | | Alzheimer's disease was adopted formally in the |
| interviewed a patient named Mrs. Auguste D., age 51. | | | | psychiatric and neurological nomenclature to describe |
| He showed her several objects and later asked her | | | | individuals of all ages with the characteristic common |
| what she had been shown. She could not remember. | | | | symptom pattern, disease course, and |
| He would initially record her behavior as "amnestic | | | | neuropathology. The term Alzheimer disease (without |
| writing disorder," but Mrs. Auguste D. would be the | | | | the apostrophe and s) also continues to be used |
| first patient to be identified with Alzheimer's disease. | | | | commonly in the literature. |
| Alzheimer would later work in the laboratory of the | | | | |