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