| Alzheimer's disease is named after the German | | | | such as health, occupation, and environment. |
| psychologist Alois Alzheimer's. Whilst it is presented as | | | | Recent advances in science and technology have led |
| a twentieth century disease, the brain degeneration, | | | | to a promising new era in Alzheimer's disease history. |
| cognitive impairment and disturbing behavioral and | | | | Cognex, the first FDA-approved drug used to slow the |
| psychiatric problems which characterize the disease | | | | disease process, hit the markets in 1990, and three |
| have most likely been around for centuries. | | | | others soon followed. The medications slow-down the |
| While Dr. Alzheimer's is the disease's namesake, | | | | cognitive impairment in patients with mild to moderate |
| Alzheimer's colleague Emil Kraepelin played an equally | | | | Alzheimer's disease by boosting depleted levels of |
| important role in the identification of the disease. | | | | acetylcholine in the brain. These are crucial to the |
| Kraepelin isolated and grouped together the symptoms | | | | healthy functioning of neurons. |
| of the disorder, suggesting they were a unique disease | | | | Other research is being done on ways to prevent |
| process, while Alzheimer was the first to understand | | | | Alzheimer's from developing further, and even |
| what was actually happening in the brains of | | | | preventing its onset. Certain hormones such as |
| Alzheimer's patients. He discovered unusual plaques | | | | estrogen and anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin |
| and tangles in the brain of one of his patients, a fifty | | | | have been found to have a mediating effect, and |
| year old woman, who exhibited the symptoms of the | | | | environmental factors, such as mentally demanding |
| disorder identified by Kraepelin. | | | | occupations, dance, and chess have been found to |
| After Kraepelin and Alzheimer's identification of the | | | | decrease older people's chances of developing |
| disease in the early twentieth century, Alzheimer's | | | | Alzheimer's. Even something as simple as wearing a |
| disease history shows that not many advances were | | | | seatbelt or helmet could be crucial to preventing |
| made in understanding or treating the disease. This | | | | Alzheimer's disease. |
| could have been due to the fact that the disease | | | | Early detection techniques are being honed to improve |
| could only be diagnosed after a patient's death: at the | | | | treatment of the disease. For example, genetic |
| autopsy, until the end of the twentieth century. | | | | research has discovered genetic markers for Familial |
| Initially, the disease was diagnosed in patients between | | | | (as in coming from the family: genetic) Alzheimer's |
| the ages of 45 and 65 and labeled as "presenile | | | | disease as well as non-familial Alzheimer's. In addition, |
| dementia." The name Alzheimer's disease only gained | | | | advanced technology, such as MRIs and PET scans, |
| popularity in the 70s and 80s as a label for patients | | | | are being used to detect structural changes in the brain |
| over the age of 65. Now the disease has recognizable | | | | that may indicate the development of Alzheimer's |
| and diagnosable symptoms, which can appear in | | | | disease before symptoms even begin. As the Baby |
| patients as young as 30. Typically, an aggressive type | | | | Boomer generation begins to age, scientists fear the |
| of Alzheimer's disease that occurs in patients under | | | | strain a large number of dementia patients could place |
| the age of 65 has a known genetic factor, while the | | | | upon the healthcare and social welfare systems; |
| appearance of the disease in patients over 65 has a | | | | therefore, researchers are scrambling to make |
| number of other factors in regards to its development, | | | | Alzheimer's disease history. |