Memory Digest

Alzheimer's Research Timeline

Key milestones in Alzheimer's research from Dr. Alois Alzheimer's 1906 case to anti-amyloid drugs and blood tests, showing how far the science has come and where it is heading.

Last reviewed: October 2026

For most of the 20th century, little could be done about Alzheimer's disease. In the last few decades, research has moved from describing the disease to diagnosing it in living people and, finally, to treatments that change its course, even if only modestly. This timeline highlights major milestones.

The early years (1900s to 1970s)

• 1906: German psychiatrist Dr. Alois Alzheimer describes the case of Auguste Deter, a woman in her 50s with memory loss, confusion and changes in behavior. After her death, he found unusual plaques and tangles in her brain, the two hallmarks still used today (see Amyloid and Tau Explained).
• 1910: His colleague Emil Kraepelin names the condition "Alzheimer's disease" in a psychiatry textbook.
• For decades afterward, Alzheimer's was considered a rare disease of middle age, while memory loss in older people was called "senility" and thought to be a normal part of aging.
• 1974: The U.S. Congress creates the National Institute on Aging (NIA), which becomes the main federal funder of Alzheimer's research.
• 1976: Neurologist Dr. Robert Katzman argues that "senile dementia" and Alzheimer's are the same disease and that it is a major cause of death. This reframes Alzheimer's as a common disease, not a normal part of aging.

Finding the pieces (1980s and 1990s)

• 1980: The Alzheimer's Association is founded by family caregivers and researchers.
• 1984: Researchers identify beta-amyloid, the protein that forms plaques. The first standard criteria for diagnosing Alzheimer's are also published.
• 1986: Tau is identified as the main protein in tangles.
• Early 1990s: Rare gene changes that cause inherited, early-onset Alzheimer's are found (in the APP gene in 1991, then PSEN1 and PSEN2). These discoveries shape the "amyloid hypothesis," the idea that amyloid build-up starts the disease process.
• 1993: Researchers show that the APOE4 gene variant raises the risk of common, late-onset Alzheimer's (see Genetic Testing and APOE4). The same year, the FDA approves tacrine, the first Alzheimer's drug.
• 1996: Donepezil (Aricept) is approved. It and similar drugs (see Cholinesterase Inhibitors and Memantine) remain widely used to help with symptoms.

Seeing the disease in living people (2000s)

• 2003: Memantine is approved in the U.S. for moderate to severe Alzheimer's (see Memantine).
• 2004: Researchers first show amyloid plaques in the living brain using a PET scan tracer called Pittsburgh compound B. The same year, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) begins tracking brain scans, blood and spinal fluid markers in volunteers, sharing data with scientists worldwide.
• Late 2000s: Research confirms that brain changes begin 15 to 20 years or more before symptoms, opening the door to earlier diagnosis and Prevention Trials.

New frameworks and many setbacks (2010s)

• 2011: The National Alzheimer's Project Act becomes law in the U.S., creating a national plan to fight the disease. New diagnostic guidelines recognize preclinical Alzheimer's and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
• 2012: The FDA approves the first PET tracer for imaging amyloid in clinical use (see Brain Imaging: MRI, CT and PET).
• 2010s: Dozens of drug trials fail, including many that targeted amyloid. The failures teach researchers that treating earlier, and choosing drugs that actually clear plaques, may matter.
• 2017: The first Lancet Commission report estimates that about a third of dementia cases might be linked to risks that can be changed.
• 2019: The SPRINT MIND trial finds that intensive blood pressure control lowers the risk of mild cognitive impairment (see Blood Pressure and the Brain).

The treatment era begins (2020s)

• 2021: The FDA grants accelerated approval to aducanumab, the first drug aimed at removing amyloid. It is controversial because of mixed trial results, and its maker discontinues it in 2024.
• 2023: Lecanemab (Leqembi) receives full FDA approval after a large trial shows it modestly slows decline in early Alzheimer's (see Lecanemab (Leqembi)).
• 2024: Donanemab (Kisunla) is approved for early Alzheimer's (see Donanemab (Kisunla)). The updated Lancet Commission report lists 14 modifiable risk factors and estimates nearly half of dementia cases could, in theory, be prevented or delayed (see Reducing Dementia Risk: The 14 Risk Factors).
• 2025: The FDA clears the first blood test to help diagnose Alzheimer's in people with memory symptoms, with others following (see Blood Tests for Alzheimer's). The U.S. POINTER trial finds a structured lifestyle program modestly helps thinking in at-risk older adults.

What's next

Researchers are now testing drugs that target tau, brain inflammation and blood vessel health, as well as combinations of treatments (see Inflammation and the Brain and Dementia Research Today). Prevention trials are testing anti-amyloid drugs in people without symptoms, and blood tests are making it easier to find the right volunteers. GLP-1 drugs used for diabetes and weight loss are also being studied (see GLP-1 Drugs and Alzheimer's Research).

The bottom line

It took about 70 years to move from Dr. Alzheimer's first description to treating it as a major public health problem, and another 45 years to reach drugs that slow the disease at all. Today's treatments are modest and have real risks, but the pace of research is faster than ever. You can help by joining a study (see Joining a Clinical Trial) or considering Brain Donation.

Sources

1. Alzheimer's Association: Alzheimer's and Brain Research Milestones
2. National Institute on Aging: History
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA Converts Novel Alzheimer's Disease Treatment to Traditional Approval (lecanemab, 2023)
4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration: FDA approves treatment for adults with Alzheimer's disease (donanemab, 2024)
5. Livingston G et al. Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 report of the Lancet Standing Commission. Lancet, 2024

Not medical advice. This article is general information, not a diagnosis or treatment plan for any individual. Talk with a doctor about your situation.

Related articles

• Dementia Research Today
• Amyloid and Tau Explained
• Biomarkers
• Lecanemab (Leqembi)
• Donanemab (Kisunla)