Alzheimers

1906-1960: First discovery

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1906: Dr. Alois Alzheimer first describes "a peculiar disease" German physician Alois Alzheimer, a pioneer in linking symptoms to microscopic brain changes, describes the haunting case of Auguste D., a patient who had profound memory loss, unfounded suspicions about her family, and other worsening psychological changes. In her brain at autopsy, he saw dramatic shrinkage and abnormal deposits in and around nerve cells.  more

1910	Alzheimer's disease named
	Emil Kraepelin, a German psychiatrist who worked with Dr. Alzheimer, first names "Alzheimer's Disease" in the eighth edition of his book Psychiatrie.
1931	Invention of electron microscope allows further study of brain
	In 1931, Germans Max Knoll and Ernst Ruska co-invent the electron microscope, which can magnify up to 1 million times. It is not until after WWII that the electron microscope becomes common in major research settings, enabling scientists to study brain cells in more detail.
1968	Development of cognitive measurement scales
	Researchers develop the first validated measurement scale for assessing cognitive and functional decline in older adults, paving the way to correlate the level of measured impairment with estimates of the number of brain lesions and the volume of damaged tissue.

1970-1979: Modern Research Era

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1974	Founding of National Institute on Aging
	An act of Congress establishes the National Institute on Aging (NIA) as one of our National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIA is our primary federal agency supporting Alzheimer's research.
1976	Alzheimer's recognized as most common form of dementia
	Neurologist Robert Katzman identifies Alzheimer's disease as the most common cause of dementia and a major public health challenge in his editorial published in Archives of Neurology.

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1980-1989: Awareness and momentum

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1980: Alzheimer's Association founded In 1979, Jerome H. Stone and representatives from several family support groups met with the National Institute on Aging to explore the value of a national, independent, nonprofit organization to complement and stimulate federal efforts on Alzheimer's disease. That meeting resulted in the 1980 formation of the Alzheimer's Association with Mr. Stone as founding president.  more

1983	Declaration of National Alzheimer's Disease Month
	Awareness of Alzheimer's disease increases, leading Congress to designate November 1983 as the first National Alzheimer's Disease Month.
1984	Beta-amyloid identified
	Researchers George Glenner and Cai'ne Wong report identification of "a novel cerebrovascular amyloid protein," known as beta-amyloid — the chief component of Alzheimer's brain plaques and a prime suspect in triggering nerve cell damage.
1984	Nationwide infrastructure for Alzheimer's research established
	The NIA begins funding its network of Alzheimer's Disease Centers at flagship medical institutions, establishing a nationwide infrastructure for research, diagnosis and treatment.
1986	1986 Tau protein identified
	Researchers discover that tau protein is a key component of tangles—the second pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and another prime suspect in nerve cell degeneration.
1987	First Alzheimer's drug trial
	The Alzheimer's Association assists the NIA and Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Company (now Pfizer) in launching and recruiting participants for clinical trials of tacrine, the first drug specifically targeting symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
1987	First deterministic Alzheimer's gene identified
	Researchers identify the first gene associated with rare, inherited forms of Alzheimer's disease. This gene on chromosome 21 codes amyloid precursor protein (APP), the parent molecule from which beta-amyloid is formed. Chromosome 21 is also the chromosome of which those with Down syndrome have three copies rather than two. Many individuals with Down syndrome develop Alzheimer's disease, often as young as their 30s and 40s.