[The beginnings of the history of atherosclerosis in mental disorders].

Atherosclerosis and its relationship with mental disorders, in particular in advanced age, arouses vivid interest of specialists at home and abroad. In their paper the authors focused attention on the historical development of the term dementia in the work of European doctors, starting in the second century after Christ, on the genesis of the term atherosclerosis and some discoveries associated with disease. Special attention is devoted to circumstances of the nosological differentiation of atherosclerotic mental disorders. The authors emphasize the importance of Binswanger's and Alzheimer's work in this area and draw attention to progressive elements in the work of K. Kuffner.