Alois Alzheimer: life, work and legacy of neuropsychiatry´s pioneer
Keywords:
deterioro cognitivo, demencia, enfermedad de Alzheimer, neurociencias, neuropatología, tejido cerebralAbstract
Introduction: Alzheimer's disease is named after the German physician who first described it in the early 20th century: Alois Alzheimer.
Objective: To synthesize current knowledge about the life, scientific work, and legacy of Alois Alzheimer.
Method: A historical narrative literature review was conducted between January and April 2026, prioritizing publications from 2021 to 2026. The search was carried out in physical bibliographies and in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, SciELO, and Google Scholar databases. The final selection of sources was made through critical reading of titles and abstracts, followed by evaluation of the full text of those documents that met the inclusion criteria.
Development: Alois Alzheimer's medical training took place at three of the most prestigious German universities of the time. The clinical case of Auguste Deter led to the naming of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer made significant contributions to the study of various nosological entities in neurology and psychiatry. Full recognition of the relevance of Alzheimer's work did not occur until the second half of the 20th century.
Conclusions: The life and work of Alois Alzheimer constitute an eloquent testament to the power of rigorous observation, intellectual perseverance, and the conviction in the existence of biological bases for neurological and mental disorders.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Leonardo Manuel Castell Martínez, José Grabiel Correa Rodríguez, Alejandro Antonio Fleitas Almirall
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