The Construct of Alzheimer’s Disease Matured for Retirement

Histological observations, published in 1907-12 by A. Alzheimer and more thoroughly by O. Fischer, became source of the assumption that brain amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles are causing a specific disease leading to dementia. At a time, when research over the last 30 years has found a large variety of processes that impair the performance of the aging brain the construct of Alzheimer´s disease (AD) is losing its meaning. The communication among neuroscientists will therefore benefit from shedding the dichotomy of "healthy aging "versus" AD"and embracing instead a multicausal model of senile presbyphrenia. In addition to eradicating semantic contradictions, this approach will also help to abandon ghostly visions of a global pandemic or personal tragedy of this "deadly disease".