Engelhardt E, Grinberg LT. Alois Alzheimer and vascular brain disease: Arteriosclerotic atrophy of the brain.
Dement Neuropsychol 2015;
9:81-84. [PMID:
29213946 PMCID:
PMC5618996 DOI:
10.1590/s1980-57642015dn91000013]
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Abstract
Alois Alzheimer is best known for his description of neurofibrillary changes in
brain neurons of a demented patient, identifying a novel disease, soon named
after him by Kraepelin. However, the range of his studies was broad, including
vascular brain diseases, published between 1894 and 1902. Alzheimer described
the clinical picture of Arteriosclerotic atrophy of the brain, differentiating
it from other similar disorders. He stated that autopsy allowed pathological
distinction between arteriosclerosis and syphilis, thereby achieving some of his
objectives of segregating disorders and separating them from syphilis. His
studies contributed greatly to establishing the key information on vascular
brain diseases, predating the present state of knowledge on the issue, while
providing early descriptions of what would be later regarded as the dimensional
presentation of the now called "Vascular cognitive impairment", constituted by a
spectrum that includes a stage of "Vascular cognitive impairment not dementia"
and another of "Vascular dementia".
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