Dementia is a prevalent syndrome in ageing societies and therefore of significant medical and social importance for the general population. We have studied knowledge and attitudes towards Alzheimer's dementia (AD) of 1245 epidemiologically representative individuals between 14 and 99 years. Only 13% mentioned memory disturbances, e.g. forgetfulness, as hallmarks of AD; 54% knew that age was a major risk factor; 47% felt that "brain-jogging" was therapeutically useful. In case of developing AD, more than 70% wished to be informed together with a close relative or friend; 7% felt that nobody else should know about their problem; and many more than 50% expected information on treatment, course, symptoms and causes. These results demonstrate, that there is a remarkable lack of relevant information on AD in the general population, and that most individuals wished to be informed about a potential diagnosis of AD together with their family and friends.