The aim of this work is to describe the history of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) concepts, from early descriptions in antiquity, through studies and authors from different historical periods throughout the centuries, to the latest updates of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). The article also presents the inclusion of the biomarkers from the cerebrospinal fluid, such as Tau and phosphorylated Tau proteins and beta-amyloid peptide in the most recent diagnostic criteria. A literature search was carried out in order to construct a reflexive narrative review of studies dated up to 2015 in the LILACS and Medline databases and with the inclusion of bibliographical references of the area. The different terms used throughout the history of the dementia and Alzheimer's disease concepts were contextualized according to the scientific perspective of a given epoch and its way of producing and reproducing knowledge. The concepts of dementia and AD continue to evolve, largely due to their complexity. Considering the importance and the growth of AD cases in the last and the next decades, this review may contribute in practice with the historical knowledge of the concepts related to dementia and AD.