It has been over 100 years since Dr. Alois Alzheimer published a report describing the disease that carries his name. Yet, decades passed before scientists began re-exploring this common condition. It has been only in the last 25 years (see timeline) that researchers, utilizing exciting new tools in the fields of brain imaging, genetics, and biochemistry have been able to accelerate our knowledge of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
| 1906 | German neuropathologist and psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer described plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain of a dementia patient |
| 1976 | Biochemical changes in the brain associated with AD were discovered, paving the way for the discovery of drugs in use today |
| 1984 | Beta amyloid protein was identified in AD blood vessels and plaques |
| 1986 | Tau protein was identified in neurofibrillary tangles |
| 1992 | Mutations of the gene that codes for Beta amyloid was identified in several families |
| 1993 | Apolipoprotein E gene form is linked to Alzheimerí's disease. |
| 1993 | The first drug (Tacrine) is approved for treatment |
| 1996 | Donepezil approved for treatment of AD |
| 2000 | Rivastigmine approved for treatment of AD |
| 2001 | Galantamine approved for treatment of AD |
| 2001 | Clinical trial of anti-amyloid vaccine conducted |
| 2003 | Memantine approved for treatment of AD |
| 2004 | Amyloid imaging by PET scan described |
| 2007 | Rivastigmine Transdermal Patch approved for treatment of AD and Parkinson's disease dementia |
| 2010 | Donepezil 23 mg approved for treatment of AD |
Though much has been learned about AD, much still remains to be discovered. Investigators from the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health have been actively involved in AD research and are at the forefront of the search for better means of detecting and treating AD.