Alzheimers

Making the distinction

For as long as human beings have been around, there have been cases of dementia. The ancient Greek and Roman physicians and philosophers recognized dementia in their culture. It was considered a normal part of aging. While a certain amount of cognitive deterioration is indeed normal as a person ages, doctors began to realize that some people seemed to deteriorate faster and more severely than others.

Case #1

In 1901, Dr. Alois Alzheimer encountered a 51-year-old patient named Mrs. Auguste Deter who was living in the Frankfurt Asylum in Germany. Mrs. Deter exhibited strange behavioral and cognitive symptoms, including a loss of short-term memory and agitation. Alzheimer followed her case from 1901 until her death in April of 1906.

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