Delay and Brian characterized Alzheimer's disease as a dementia with aphasic apraxic-agnostic symptoms. In this paper is pointed out that this thesis is too simple. The neuropathological findings suggest the possibility of a varied series of temporo-parieto-occipital symptoms. The different clinical symptoms are discursed.
A lzheimer's disease is clinically characterized by the amnestie syndrome and variable temporo-parieto-occipital symptoms.
The presenile dementia of the Alzheitner type and the so called senile dementia have the same neuropathological substrate. The histochemical aspects of this substrate are discursed in details.
Further is pointed out that there is nog principle difference between the clinical picture of Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. Botte clinical conditions are manifestations of a primary amyloidosis of the brain.
The clinical picture composed of the amnestie syndrome and variable temporo-parieto-occipital symptoms is not pathognomonic for this condition, but occurs in the same form in other diseases affecting the cortex the white matter or both.
In some cases this clinical picture is combined with a Parkinsonian syndrome. Neuropathological examination of our 7 cases revealed that is all cases Lewy bodies were formed in different parts of the brain stem. In tour cases the typical substrate of Alzheimer's disease was found in the cortex.
In three cases spongiform degeneration of the cortex and the basai gang/ia was found in addition to the Lewy degeneration in the brain stem. The Parkinson- dementia syndrome apparently is no clinical entity.