TY - JOUR AU - Kalvach, Pavel AU - Vogner, Martin PY - 2019 DA - 2019/07/08 TI - Parting with the Concept of Alzheimer’s Disease in Senium JO - OBM Geriatrics SP - 060 VL - 03 IS - 03 AB - The understanding of mental deterioration associated with old age has undergone several changes over the past two centuries, and has spurred major scientific debates. In the 19th century, this disorder was still considered an inevitable part of aging. The beginning of the 20th century offered a histological explanation for presenile dementia, and Alois Alzheimer was credited as the discoverer of a new disease that bears his name to date. In the last quarter of the 20th century, findings of Alois Alzheimer were applied massively to late-onset dementia as well, thereby virtually excluding natural intellectual impairment as an explanation to dementia. In contradiction to the original concept provided by Alzheimer, amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are now being considered as the cause of psychological depreciation at all ages, and the presence of these is interpreted as a disease. The present review is aimed at disputing these common views and suggests that continuing with this approach may prove to be increasingly counterproductive. SN - 2638-1311 UR - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903060 DO - 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1903060 ID - Kalvach2019 ER -