Posted on January 3, 2010 - by Nurse Virginia

Auguste Deter First Person Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, 1906 – Symptoms haven’t changed for 100 years

Alzheimer’s disease thought to be a rare and unusual occurrence for many years

Karl Deter first brought his wife Auguste to see Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1901, in Frankfurt Germany.  She was then diagnosed with presenile dementia due to her signs and symptoms of memory loss and loss of other cognitive functions. Auguste had trouble reading, writing, was disoriented and had lost the meaning of many common, everyday words.  Auguste was eventually admitted to a mental institution and upon her death in 1906, at the age of 55, Dr. Alzheimer requested Auguste’s brain for autopsy. This autopsy performed by Dr. Alzheimer, was the first recorded observation of plaques and tangles in the brain.

Dr. Alzheimer published his findings and the disease that was found to cause plaques and tangles in the brain was named after him. Also noted on autopsy was that Auguste’s brain was somewhat shrunken in size.

The connection between memory loss in the elderly and Auguste Deter

It wasn’t until the 1960’s that scientists began to see the connection between what had been considered a very rare disease of the brain in people under 60, and the memory disorders in the elderly. Until that time the symptoms of dementia seen in the older population were thought to be just the result of aging.

In the sixties if an elderly person was confused they said “She has senile dementia.”  Because people were starting to live to an older age, there were more people to observe with these symptoms. With more elderly people to study, the connection was now made between the symptoms first noted by Dr. Alzheimer and the changes he observed from Auguste Deter’s autopsy.

Auguste Deter’s symptoms in 1906

• As she experienced the loss of her words, she also lost the ability to understand those lost words
• Even in familiar places, like her home, she was confused and disoriented
• Her memory and cognitive problems progressed quickly
• Increasing trouble reading and writing
• As the disease progressed she had increasing behavior problems – screaming , shrieking

and hallucinations.

• Eventually she lost the ability to care for herself and was total care in all areas of daily living.

Virginia Garberding, R.N.

Director of Education, The Wealshire, Lincolnshire, Illinois

Author: Please Get To Know Me – Aging with Dignity and Relevance