[From empiricism to neuroscience in Alzheimer's disease].
BACKGROUND
It has been almost a hundred years since neurofibrillar degeneration in the neurones of the cerebral cortex was first described by Alois Alzheimer. This finding led to the recognition of a new disease (a presenile dementia unlike senile dementia) using the clinicopathological empirical method employed at that time. Despite Alzheimer's own opinion and the subsequent findings from many neuropathological studies, general acknowledgement of the full implications of this dichotomy has taken decades. All the cases were grouped under the eponym of Alzheimer's disease and it is now being studied with the different modern scientific methods currently available to researchers.


CONCLUSIONS
Alzheimer's disease has given rise to an exceptional associationist movement around the world and has become one of leading social and health problems facing the human race; its research and treatment will require the involvement of national and supranational public authorities.
Departamento de Neurología, Hospital de Cruces, Barakaldo, Vizcaya, Spain. jjzarranz@hcru.osakidetza.net
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Zarranz
D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D016874:Neurofibrillary Tangles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009488:Neurosciences