Weber M M
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute, Munich, Germany.
J Psychiatr Res. 1997 Nov-Dec;31(6):635-43. doi: 10.1016/s0022-3956(97)00035-6.
In the last 10 years most people in the western world have become fully aware of the medical and social dimensions of Alzheimer's disease. One might conclude, therefore, that the life of Aloys Alzheimer (1864-1915) would be an object of intensive study. However, compared to other scientists from the turn of the century, our knowledge of Alzheimer is still limited. One of the most decisive factors in his life was Emil Kraepelin, the real "inventor" of the Alzheimer dementia. A critical-historical attitude should be especially maintained if one looks at Alzheimer's dementia, Alzheimer's famous "discovery". Many of today's psychiatrists would assume that the description of Alzheimer's disease was the scientific climax of Alzheimer's professional life and the ultimate aim of his research. However, this view is the result of our modern knowledge. Kraepelin's creation of Alzheimer's disease in 1909 was not based on a large number of "objective" findings, but on his idea of "nosological entities". Alzheimer's disease is a striking example of the fact that a new medical idea must comprise conceptual prerequisites, clinical observations and innovative technologies.
在过去十年里，西方世界的大多数人已充分认识到阿尔茨海默病的医学和社会层面。因此，有人可能会得出结论，阿洛伊斯·阿尔茨海默（1864 - 1915）的生平会成为深入研究的对象。然而，与世纪之交的其他科学家相比，我们对阿尔茨海默的了解仍然有限。他人生中最具决定性的因素之一是埃米尔·克雷佩林，阿尔茨海默痴呆症真正的“发明者”。如果审视阿尔茨海默痴呆症，即阿尔茨海默著名的“发现”，尤其应该秉持批判性的历史态度。当今许多精神病学家会认为，阿尔茨海默病的描述是阿尔茨海默职业生涯的科学巅峰以及他研究的最终目标。然而，这种观点是基于我们现代的认知。1909年克雷佩林对阿尔茨海默病的界定并非基于大量“客观”发现，而是基于他的“疾病分类实体”理念。阿尔茨海默病是一个突出的例子，表明一种新的医学理念必须包含概念前提、临床观察和创新技术。
