The diagnosis of celebrities such as Rita Hayworth and Ronald Reagan has brought Alzheimer’s disease out of the closet and into the national spotlight. This program traces the century-long initiative to understand the disease first described by Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Patients in the early stages of Alzheimer’s and family members discuss how they cope with the illness, while medical professionals address the disease’s pathology, research toward a cure, and the importance of compassionate healthcare. No longer stigmatized as senile, patients are sympathetically viewed as victims of an insidious disease that is reaching epidemic proportions. (49 minutes)