Oskar Fischer and the study of dementia

Abstract

The centenary of Alois Alzheimer's description of the case of Auguste Deter has renewed interest in the early history of dementia research. In his 1907 paper Alzheimer described the presence of plaques and tangles in one case of presenile dementia. In the same year, Oskar Fischer reported neuritic plaques in 12 cases of senile dementia. These were landmark findings in the history of research in dementia because they delineated the clinicopathological entity that is now known as Alzheimer's disease. Although much has been written about Alzheimer, only little is known about Fischer. The present article discusses Fischer's work on dementia in the context of his life and time.

Figure 1

Oskar Fischer around the time of his 60th birthday in 1936.

Figure 2

Drawings of three neuritic plaques from the brains of patients with senile dementia. Compiled from the illustrations of Fischer's 1907 paper. Note the abnormal, club-shaped neurites and the displacement of normal-looking fibrils in the space occupied by the plaques.

Figure 3

Drawings of neurofibrillary tangles from the brains of patients with senile dementia. Reproduced from Fischer's 1910 paper.

Figure 4

Drawings of plaque stages I–VIII from the brains of patients with senile dementia. Compiled from the illustrations of Fischer's 1910 paper. Fischer believed that plaque stages I–V formed a continuum. Abnormal, club-shaped neurites were frequently found in association with plaque stages III–V but not with stages I or II.