Description:
Nearly a century ago, Alois Alzheimer
described the first case of the disease that now bears his name. Alzheimer’s
first encounter with this fateful case was in 1901 when a 51-year-old woman
was admitted with aphasia, poor memory, lack of orientation, paranoid ideation,
unpredictable behavior, hallucinations, and severe cognitive deficits. This
article describes Alzheimer's Disease and outlines diagnostic criteria.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease
- Describe the effects of Alzheimer's disease on the patient's
memory
- Discuss the pathology of Alzheimer's disease
Author(s):
Venita Jay, MD, FRCPC
Launched: 2003