American Dementia

"The authors argue for a strong connection between public health and social policies that have boosted access to education; quality health care; cleaner air, soil, and water; and a reduction in Alzheimer's disease and dementia. They question the assumption of many that developing a pharmaceutical cure is the best hope for addressing Alzheimer's"--

As the largest generation in U.S. history - the population born in the two decades immediately following World War II - enters the age of risk for cognitive impairment, growing numbers of people will experience dementia (including Alzheimer's disease and related dementias). By one estimate, nearly 14 million people in the United States will be living with dementia by 2060. Like other hardships, the experience of living with dementia can bring unexpected moments of intimacy, growth, and compassion, but these diseases also affect people's capacity to work and carry out other activities and alter their relationships with loved ones, friends, and coworkers. Those who live with and care for individuals experiencing these diseases face challenges that include physical and emotional stress, difficult changes and losses in their relationships with life partners, loss of income, and interrupted connections to other activities and friends. From a societal perspective, these diseases place substantial demands on communities and on the institutions and government entities that support people living with dementia and their families, including the health care system, the providers of direct care, and others. Nevertheless, research in the social and behavioral sciences points to possibilities for preventing or slowing the development of dementia and for substantially reducing its social and economic impacts. At the request of the National Institute on Aging of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America assesses the contributions of research in the social and behavioral sciences and identifies a research agenda for the coming decade. This report offers a blueprint for the next decade of behavioral and social science research to reduce the negative impact of dementia for America's diverse population. Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America calls for research that addresses the causes and solutions for disparities in both developing dementia and receiving adequate treatment and support. It calls for research that sets goals meaningful not just for scientists but for people living with dementia and those who support them as well. By 2030, an estimated 8.5 million Americans will have Alzheimer's disease and many more will have other forms of dementia. Through identifying priorities social and behavioral science research and recommending ways in which they can be pursued in a coordinated fashion, Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America will help produce research that improves the lives of all those affected by dementia.

Have the social safety nets, environmental protections, and policies to redress wealth and income inequality enacted after World War II contributed to declining rates of dementia today—and how do we improve brain health in the future? Winner of the American Book Fest Health: Aging/50+ by the American Book Fest, Living Now Book Award: Mature Living/Aging by the Living Now Book Awards For decades, researchers have chased a pharmaceutical cure for memory loss. But despite the fact that no disease-modifying biotech treatments have emerged, new research suggests that dementia rates have actually declined in the United States and Western Europe over the last decade. Why is this happening? And what does it mean for brain health in the future? In American Dementia, Daniel R. George, PhD, MSc, and Peter J. Whitehouse, MD, PhD, argue that the current decline of dementia may be strongly linked to mid–twentieth century policies that reduced inequality, provided widespread access to education and healthcare, and brought about cleaner air, soil, and water. They also • explain why Alzheimer's disease, an obscure clinical label until the 1970s, is the hallmark illness of our current hyper-capitalist era; • reveal how the soaring inequalities of the twenty-first century—which are sowing poverty, barriers to healthcare and education, loneliness, lack of sleep, stressful life events, environmental exposures, and climate change—are reversing the gains of the twentieth century and damaging our brains; • tackle the ageist tendencies in our culture, which disadvantage both vulnerable youth and elders; • make an evidence-based argument that policies like single-payer healthcare, a living wage, and universal access to free higher education and technical training programs will build collective resilience to dementia; • promote strategies that show how local communities can rise above the disconnection and loneliness that define our present moment and come together to care for our struggling neighbors. Ultimately, American Dementia asserts that actively remembering lessons from the twentieth century which help us become a healthier, wiser, and more compassionate society represents our most powerful intervention for preventing Alzheimer's and protecting human dignity. Exposing the inconvenient truths that confound market-based approaches to memory enhancement as well as broader social organization, the book imagines how we can act as citizens to protect our brains, build the cognitive resilience of younger generations, and rise to the moral challenge of caring for the cognitively frail.

The world of the American alienist, 1896 -- Adolf Meyer brings dementia praecox to America -- Emil Kraepelin -- The American reception of dementia praecox and manic depressive insanity, 1896-1905 -- The lost biological psychiatry -- The rise of the mind-twist men, 1903-1913 -- Bayard Taylor Holmes and radically rational treatments -- The rise of schizophrenia in America, 1912-1927.

The APA Handbook of Dementia addresses assessment, comorbidity, evaluation, and treatment of various forms of dementia. The handbook reviews common dementias including Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, and other less common dementias. It is organized into sections discussing diagnosis, epidemiology, and neurobiology (including neuropathology and neuroimaging); assessment, including cultural issues, methodology, and neuropsychology; and primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention strategies. The handbook is intended as a resource for all psychologists and other health professionals that serve persons and families impacted by neurodegenerative disease.

"Students of many ilks will benefit from re-imagining Alzheimer's from the perspective of affected elders and their caregivers." - Peter Whitehouse, Case Western Reserve University

Your sensitive, authoritative guide to Alzheimer's and dementia If a loved one has recently been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease, it's only natural to feel fraught with fear and uncertainty about what lies ahead. Fortunately, you don't have to do it alone. This friendly and authoritative guide is here to help you make smart, informed choices throughout the different scenarios you'll encounter as a person caring for someone diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer's disease. From making sense of a diagnosis to the best ways to cope with symptoms, Alzheimer's and Dementia For Dummies is the trusted companion you can count on as you navigate your way through this difficult landscape. Affecting one's memory, thinking, and behavior, dementia and Alzheimer's disease can't be prevented, cured, or slowed—but a diagnosis doesn't mean you have to be left helpless! Inside, you'll find out how to make sense of the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, understand the stages of the illnesses, and, most importantly, keep your loved one safe and comfortable—no matter how severe their symptoms are. Find out what to expect from Alzheimer's and dementia Discover what to keep in mind while caring for someone with Alzheimer's or dementia Uncover symptoms, causes, and risk factors of Alzheimer's and dementia Learn the critical information needed to help manage these illnesses Whether you're new to caring for a person affected by Alzheimer's or dementia or just looking for some answers and relief on your journey, this is the trusted resource you'll turn to again and again.

The guideline offers clear, concise, and actionable recommendation statements to help clinicians to incorporate recommendations into clinical practice, with the goal of improving quality of care. Each recommendation is given a rating that reflects the level of confidence that potential benefits of an intervention outweigh potential harms.