Alzheimer’s disease in the 100 years since Alzheimer’s death

It is 100 years since the death of Aloysius ‘Alois’ Alzheimer (1864–1915). In that time the disease that bears his name has gone from being considered a rare condition only affecting younger people to a major public health priority as Governments face ever-increasing numbers of people with dementia. Worldwide some 40 million people have dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is the most important cause (Prince et al., 2013). A recent UK poll identified Alzheimer’s disease as the greatest concern about later life for British people over 60 years old, more feared even than cancer or the death of family and friends (https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/07/26/alzheimers-greatest-concern-over-60s/). While Alzheimer’s disease may now be at the forefront of the public imagination, it was not always thus. Over the past century, concepts of what Alzheimer’s disease is, who it affects and how common it may be have undergone a number of dramatic shifts.

Brain 2015