The work of Alois Alzheimer on presenile dementia is a landmark in the history of psychiatry not fully appreciated by contemporary psychiatrists. In this paper, the history of his landmark work is reviewed in the context of the growing importance of psychiatric involvement in Alzheimer's disease. Annotated excerpts from Alzheimer's second paper (1911), never before translated into English, are presented. The historical significance of Alzheimer's findings vis-a-vis Krae pelinian psychiatry and the relationship of his investigations to modern psychiatric research in primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type are discussed. (J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 1988;1:199-206).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Alzheimer A. : Uber eine Eigenartige Erxrankung der Hirnrinde . Censoralblast fur Nervenheilkunde und Psychiatrie1907;18:20-22.
2.
Alzheimer A.: A Unique Illness Involving the Cerebral Cortex, in Neurological Classics in Modern Translation. Edited by Rottenberg DA, Hochberg FH.New York, Hafner Press, 1977.
3.
Alzheimer A. : Uber Eigenartige Krankheitsfalle des Spatern Alters. Gesanipte NeurolPsychiatr1911;4:356-385.
4.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ed 3. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC, 1987.
5.
Toracix RM: The Pathologic Physiology of Dementia. Springer , Berlin, 1978.
6.
Kraepelin E.: Psychiatrie: Ein Lehrbuch fur Studierende und Arzte, vol. 2, Klinische Psychiatrie, part 1. Leipzig, 1910, pp 616-632.
7.
Reisberg B., Borenstein J., Salob SP, et al: Behavioral symptoms in Alzheimer's disease: Phenomenology and treatment. Clin Psychiatry1987;48:9-15.
8.
Berrios GE, Brook P.: Delusions and the psychopathology of the elderly with dementia. Acta Psychiatr Scand1985;72:296-301.
9.
Rubin EH, Morris JC, Berg L.: The progression of personality changes in senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type. J Am Geriatr Soc1987;35:721-725.
10.
Teri L., Larson EB, Reifler BV: Behavioral disturbance in dementia of the Alzheimer's type. JAm Geriatr Soc1988;36:1-6.
11.
Fischer O.: Miliare Nekrsen mit Drusigen Wucherungen der Neurofibrillen, eine Regelmassige Veranderung der Hirnrinde bei Seniler Demenz. Monatsschr PsychiatrieNeurol1907;22: 361-372.
12.
Simchowicz T.: Histopatholische Studien uber die Seniler Demenz. Histol Histopathol Grosshirnrinde1911;4:267-444.
13.
Blocq P., Marinesco G.: Sur les lesions et la pathgenie de l'epilepsie dite essentialle. Semaine Med1892;12:445-446.
14.
Majocha RE, Marotta CA: Molecular and genetic investigations on Alzheimer brain amyloid. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol, in press.
15.
Benes FM, Majocha RE, Marotta CA: A modular arrangement of neuronal processes in human cortex: Disruption with aging and in Alzheimer's disease. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol1988; 1:3-10.
16.
Crapper DR, Krishnan SS, Dalton AJ: Brain aluminum in Alzheimer's disease and experimental neurofibrillary degeneration . Transcr Neurol Assn1973;98:17-20.
17.
Davies P.: Neurotransmitter-related enzymes in senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type . Brain Res1979;138:385-392.
18.
Perry EK, Perry RH: The cholinergic system in Alzheimer's disease, in Roberts PG (ed): Biochemistry of Dementia . New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1980.
19.
Rossor MN, Emson PC, Iverson LL, et al: Neuropeptides and neurotransmitters in cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease. Aging1982;19:15-24.
20.
Ishii T., Haga J.: Immuno-electron microscopic localization of immunoglobulins in amyloid fibrils of senile plaques. Acta Neuropathol1976;36:243-249.
21.
Crystal HA, Davies P.: Cortical substance p-like immunoreactivity in cases of Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia of the Alzheimer's type. J Neurochem1982;38:1781-1784.
22.
Bissette G. , Reynolds GP, Kilts CD, et al: Corticotropin releasing factor-like immunoreactivity in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. JAMA1985;234:3067-3069.
23.
Feldman RG, Chandler KA, Levy LL, Glaser GH: Familial Alzheimer's disease. Neurology1963 ;13:811-824.
24.
Heston LL, Mastri AR, Anderson VE, White J.: Dementia of the Alzheimer type: Clinical genetics, natural history, and associated conditions. Arch Gen Psychiatry1981;38:1085-1090.
25.
Keyman A., Wilkinson WE, Hurwitz BJ, et al: Alzheimer's disease: Genetic aspects and associated clinical disorders. Ann Neurol1983;14:507-515.
26.
Goldgaber D. , Lerman MI, McBride OW, et al: Characterization and chromosomal localization of a cDNA encoding brain amyloid of Alzheimer's disease. Science1987;235:877-880.
27.
St George-Hyslop PH, Tanzi RE, Polisky RJ, et al: The genetic defect causing familial Alzheimer's disease maps on chromosome 21. Science1987;235:885-890.
28.
Gustafson L. , Risberg J.: Regional cerebral blood flow measurements by the 133 xenon inhalation technique in differential diagnosis of dementia . Acta Neurol Scand1979;60(suppl 72): 546-547.
29.
Ingvar DH, Larsen NA: Activity distribution in the cerebral cortex in organic dementia as revealed by measurement of regional cerebral blood flow, in Hoffmeister F, Muller C (eds): Brain Function in Old Age. Berlin, Springer, 1979.
30.
Meyer JS: Cerebral blood flow: Use in differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease , in Reisberg B (ed): Alzheimer's disease. The Standard Reference. New York, The Free Press, 1983.
31.
Nasser MA, Gebhardt C., Levine HL: Decreased computerized tomography numbers in patients with presenile dementia . Arch Neurol1980;37:401-409.
32.
De Leon MJ, George AE: Computed tomography in aging and senile dementia, in Mayeux A, Rosen W (eds): Recent Advances in Neurology. New York, Raven Press, 1983.
33.
Reisberg B.: An overview of current concepts of Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, and age-associated cognitive decline, in Reisberg B (ed): Alzheimer's Disease. The Standard Reference . New York, The Free Press, 1983.
34.
Igbal K., Wisniewski HM: Neurofibrillary tangles, in Reisberg B (ed): Alzheimer's Disease. The Standard Reference. New York, The Free Press, 1983.
35.
Wisniewski HM : Neuritic (senile) and amyloid plaques, in Reisberg B (ed): Alzheimer's Disease. The Standard Reference. New York, The Free Press, 1983.
36.
Katzman R.: Alzheimer's disease. N Engl J Med1986;314: 964-973.
37.
Bird TD, Stranahan S., Sami SM, Raskind M.: Alzheimer's disease: choline acetyl transferase activity in brain tissue from clinical and pathological subgroups. Ann Neurol1983;14: 284-293.
38.
Whitehouse PG , Hedreen JC, White CL, et al: Neuronal loss in the basal forebrain cholinergic system is more marked in Alzheimer's disease than in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type. Ann Neurol1983;14:149-149.
39.
Seltzer B., Sherwin I.: A comparison of clinical features on early-and late-onset primary degenerative dementia. One entity or two?Arch Neurol1983 ;40:143-146.
40.
Rossor HM, Iverson LL, Reynolds GP, et al: Neurochemical characteristics of early and late onset types of Alzheimer's disease. Br Med J1984;288:961-964.
41.
Chui HC, Teng EL, Henderson VW, Artur CM: Clinical subtypes of dementia of the Alzheimer type. Neurology1985;35: 1544-1549.
42.
Filley CM, Kelly J., Heaton RK: Neuropsychological features of early and late-onset Alzheimer's diseases . Arch Neurol1986;43: 574-576.
43.
Alzheimer's Disease. Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease: US Department of Health and Human Services Publication No. (ADM) 84-1323, Washington, DC, 1984.
