Historical Perspective

Abstract

The conceptual history of dementia probably originates in the history of human being. Throughout human history, dementia and cognitive decline were defined in different terms, and it is difficult to follow them in the literature. Dementia (“Démence”) was first reported in the first edition of Encyclopédie Française and later in the “Code Napoléon” (1794-1799) (Berrios, Psychol Med 17(4):829-837, 1987). The definition, classification, and etiology have been revised frequently. This chapter provides a summary of dementia from prehistoric medicine to the current literature, highlighting the trajectory of dementia evolution throughout world history.