Lack of dementia in ancient Greece and Rome suggests contemporary causes to diseases like Alzheimer's

[BootinUp]

The Wild Hunt - Pagan News and Perspectives reports:

Scholars, and probably most people, have assumed that Alzheimer’s disease, which was first described in 1906, and similar age-related dementia have been a persistent issue throughout history, but only recently medically identified. A new analysis of classical Greek and Roman medical texts challenges this idea.

A new study published this week in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease challenges the notion that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) have been with us all along. Rather, these dementias may be a contemporary affliction.

The research is driven by the limited references to significant cognitive decline in ancient Greek and Roman texts. These historical accounts primarily focused on the physical challenges associated with aging rather than delving into advanced cognitive impairments.

The study, led by USC researchers suggests that severe memory loss, prevalent in contemporary society, was exceptionally rare 2,000 to 2,500 years ago during the era of The Greek “Father of Medicine” Hippocrates, the Greek Pliny the Elder philosopher Aristotle, the ancient Greek physician Galen, and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. All three were famous for recording their observations.

https://wildhunt.org/2024/01/lack-of-dementia-in-ancient-greece-and-rome-suggests-contemporary-causes-to-diseases-like-alzheimers.html