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Alzheimer's disease, named after the German born psychologist Alois Alzheimer's, appears to be an ailment of the last century but the brain degeneration, cognitive impairment and troubling behavioral and psychiatric concerns which often characterize the disorder have most probably been about for hundreds of years. A short lesson in Alzheimer's disease history informs us that although Dr. Alzheimer's is the disease's namesake, Alzheimer's colleague Emil Kraepelin played an equally crucial role in the recognition of the disease. Kraepelin singled out and grouped together the signs and symptoms of the disorder, suggesting they represented a one of a kind disease process, although Alzheimer was the first to comprehend what was actually happening inside the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers. He identified atypical plaques and tangles inside the brain of one of his subjects, a 50 year old woman who exhibited the symptoms of the disorder discovered by Kraepelin. After Kraepelin and Alzheimer's detection of the condition at the beginning of the 20th century, Alzheimer's disease history shows that not many improvements were made in comprehending or treating the disorder, which could only be diagnosed post-mortem through an autopsy until the end of the 20th century. The illness was first diagnosed in patients between the ages of 45 and 65 and tagged as "presenile dementia". The name Alzheimer's disease only became popular during the 70s and 80s as a name for sufferers over 65 years of age. These days the disorder has recognizable and diagnosable symptoms which can develop in people as young as 30. Frequently, an aggressive variety of Alzheimer's disease which arises in people under the age of 65 has a known genetic component, while the emergence of the condition in people over 65 has several other factors involved in its development, like health, career, and environment. Early detection strategies are being produced to get better treating the condition. For example, genetic studies has uncovered markers for familial Alzheimer's disease in addition to non-familial Alzheimer's. Additionally, advanced technologies such as PET scans and MRIs, are being used to detect structural changes inside the brain which could possibly reveal the development of Alzheimer's disease before signs and symptoms even start. As the baby boomer generation starts to age, experts fear the strain which a lot of dementia patients could place upon the healthcare and social welfare systems. After Kraepelin and Alzheimer's detection of the condition at the beginning of the 20th century, Alzheimer's disease history shows that not many improvements were made in comprehending or treating the disorder, which could only be diagnosed post-mortem through an autopsy until the end of the 20th century. The illness was first diagnosed in patients between the ages of 45 and 65 and tagged as "presenile dementia". The name Alzheimer's disease only became popular during the 70s and 80s as a name for sufferers over 65 years of age. These days the disorder has recognizable and diagnosable symptoms which can develop in people as young as 30. Frequently, an aggressive variety of Alzheimer's disease which arises in people under the age of 65 has a known genetic component, while the emergence of the condition in people over 65 has several other factors involved in its development, like health, career, and environment.
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SymptomsOfAlzheimers.org gives answers to lots of questions that you might have about Alzheimer's disease and is an amazing Alzheimer's resource center for people taking care of close family and loved ones struggling with this ailment.
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