Alzheimer s Disease A Brief History - 850 Words

Alzheimer s Disease: A Brief History By Dana Griffen | Submitted On March 16, 2011 Recommend Article Article Comments Print Article Share this article on Facebook Share this article on Twitter Share this article on Google+ Share this article on Linkedin Share this article on StumbleUpon Share this article on Delicious Share this article on Digg Share this article on Reddit Share this article on Pinterest Progressive mental deterioration due to aging has been recognized and documented throughout history. But in 1906, Alois Alzheimer was the first to identify a collection of brain cell abnormalities as a disease. A German psychiatrist and neuropathologist, he is credited with identifying the first case of presenile dementia, which was later named after him: Alzheimer s disease. Dr. Alzheimer identified the incurable, degenerative, and terminal disease through a brain autopsy he performed on one of his patients. During the procedure, he discovered neuritic plaques, or dense deposits surrounding the nerve cells of the brain. Inside the cells, he noted twisted bands of fibers, or neurofibrillary tangles. When these are found during autopsies today, it s a sure sign the person had Alzheimer s disease. In the 1960s, scientists determined there was a link between cognitive decline, and the number of plaques and tangles in the brain. Until that point, much of the medical community considered Alzheimer s a normal part of aging. After this discovery, though, theShow MoreRelatedA Brief History Of Alzheimer s Disease1675 Words   |  7 Pages 1. Introduction 1.1 A brief overview of Alzheimer’s diseases The life expectancy is now doubled from the last century in the developed countries due to the revolution progress in medicine and health mainly to chronic diseases. 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