Alzheimer S Disease Down S Syndrome And Aging

The Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer Disease in Down Syndrome provides a multidisciplinary approach to the understanding of aging and Alzheimer disease in Down syndrome that is synergistic and focused on efforts to understand the neurobiology as it pertains to interventions that will slow or prevent disease. The book provides detailed knowledge of key molecular aspects of aging and neurodegeneration in Down Syndrome by bringing together different models of the diseases and highlighting multiple techniques. Additionally, it includes case studies and coverage of neuroimaging, neuropathological and biomarker changes associated with these cohorts. This is a must-have resource for researchers who work with or study aging and Alzheimer disease either in the general population or in people with Down syndrome, for academic and general physicians who interact with sporadic dementia patients and need more information about Down syndrome, and for new investigators to the aging and Alzheimer/Down syndrome arena. Discusses the complexities involved with aging and Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome Summarizes the neurobiology of aging that requires management in adults with DS and leads to healthier aging and better quality of life into old age Serves as learning tool to orient researchers to the key challenges and offers insights to help establish critical areas of need for further research

This definitive handbook assembles the most recent advances in knowledge about dementia, Alzheimer Disease, and related disorders as they affect persons with intellectual disabilities. Diagnosis, assessment, treatment, and management and care practices are detailed in a practical manner making this a useful tool to both students and trained professionals. After an introduction to the subject, the book begins with persoanl accounts of three affected individuals whose signs of dementia are described from clinical, family member, and care-provider perspectives, respectively. The biology and physiology of dementia, as well as the neurological and medical complications associated with it, are then provided in Parts Two, three, and Four. The application and practical perspectives of this handbook are enhanced in Part Five which details the best practices available to meet the needs and challenges involved in care and quality of life issues. The challenge raised by the rapidly growing number of aging individuals with intellectual disabilities forms the basis for the final part of the volume, an analysis and presentation of rarely addressed policy issues. Extensive resource information and a comprehensive glossary contribute to the useful nature of this handbook. Practitioners, service providers, educators and students will benefit from the accessability and practicality if this text as well as the breadth and depth of knowledge of the editors and contributors.

This is the first book in the field to address the underlying biological abnormalities of Dementia in Alzheimer’s Disease (DAD) in people with Down syndrome. It brings together research findings relating to the neuropathology, genetics, blood markers and neurophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease in older adults with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease presents vital information to medical professionals who provide clinical care to people with Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome. It will also be of great benefit to researchers with an interest in Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome and academics researching ageing issues in people with Down Syndrome. It complements Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia in Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities by the same author.

It was Oscar Wilde who defined the tragedy of old age by saying that " . . . as soon as you are old enough to know better, you don't know anything at all. " As improvements in the quality of health care bring about longer life, our attention has turned from the prolonging of life to the maintenance of involvement in life. In developed nations, a full 100% increase in the ranks of the elderly has appeared and with the benefits of this prolongation have come new and greater needs of the elderly cohort. Our interest is in those processes that may lead to dementia among the elderly, for in dementia we see a thief that robs victims of their memories and their place in life. This text was conceived and developed from an international con ference on neurodevelopment, aging, and cognition; the purpose of this few days a group of experts in these conference was to bring together for a fields from around the world to generate a dialog on common themes and unresolved problems. Our hope was that by keeping the meeting small and informal, we could break through barriers of terminology unique to the areas of developmental neurobiology, neuroscience, cognitive sci ence, and clinical medicine, and have a meaningful discussion on pro cesses that affect the biological integrity and cognitive performance of the aging nervous system.

Alzheimer's disease is a primary neurodegenerative disease whose incidence and prevalence is rapidly approaching epidemic proportions. A major reason for this is that man is living longer than he has ever lived before and the likelihood of contracting the disease is significantly greater within the elderly portion of the population. The problem becomes even more acute in the light of recent estimates which predict that the number of people living beyond the age of 65 is expected to continue to increase. The impact of these statistics on the family and the health care industry in terms of time, effort and cost are staggering. A recent report issued by the Michigan Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Conditions (1987) effectively underscores this last point. "Each person with a dementing disease requires an average of seven years of care, either at home or in a residential care facility. Care provided at home is estimated to cost about $12,000 annually, for a total of $84,000 per person. This is a conservative figure, however, because many persons with dementia spend their last few years in a nursing home at an average 'cost of $22,000 per year, and some spend from 10 to 15 years in a nursing home, for a total cost of $220,000 to $330,000.