Dr. ALois Alzheimer
Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Dr. Alzheimer was born on June 14, 1864 in Marktbreit, Germany. Here he studied medicine at Wurburg and Berlin universities. Dr. Alzheimer worked in the state asylum in Frankfurt am Main as a medical officer. He became an accomplished neurologist where he had work published on epilepsy, brain tumors, syphilis, and hardening of the arteries. He met Auguste D in 1901. Auguste was a woman of 51 who was his patient at the asylum for the next four years until she died. Her condition declined into an almost madness and included memory loss, difficulty with her speech, confusion, suspicion, agitation, wandering, and screaming when she was instructed to stay in bed. She was also incontinent and unaware of her surroundings. She would be fine one moment then suddenly find herself in a state of deep confusion and abrupt anger. Dr. Alzheimer’s performed an autopsy on her in 1905. He found that her brain was shriveled and neurons had disappeared. He also found "neurofibrillary tangles" and "senile plaques" that are now hallmarks of the disease. The disease was later named after Dr. Alzheimer, though he never knew this. He presented his findings to fellow scholars and psychiatrists and the disease was later named after him. It is now the most common form of dementia in elderly people (The Discovery).