Molecular Mechanisms Of Dementia

The past decade has witnessed a revolution in the attempts of scientists to under stand the molecular basis of dementia. Although dementia, as defined by global cogni tive decline involving gradual loss of memory, reasoning, judgment, and orientation, presents most commonly in the form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), an assortment of other less common disorders, such as prion and Pick's disease, can also lead to symp toms that are similar to those observed in patients with AD. The primary goal of Molecular Mechanisms of Dementia is to address the various mechanisms and multi faceted approaches currently being employed to more clearly delineate the etiological and pathogenic events responsible for the onset of dementia. Perhaps the greatest boon to obtaining a clearer understanding of the causes of AD has come from genetic and molecular biological studies carried out over the past decade. At the genetic level, it has become increasingly clear that AD is a heteroge neous disorder that can be broadly classified into two categories. "Late onset" (>60 yr) cases, which account for the vast majority of AD, genetically involve "susceptibility" genes representing risk factors for the disease (e. g. , inheritance of the 84 allele of the Apolipoprotein E gene). In many cases, the susceptibility gene can act as a "modifier" that modulates the pathogenic cascade occurring subsequent to a separate etiological event "initiating" or "causing" the disorder.

Considerable progress has been made in neurochemical and therapeutic aspects of dementia research in recent years. Molecular and Therapeutic Aspects of Dementia presents readers with comprehensive and cutting-edge information on the neurochemical mechanisms of various types of dementias. It provides a clearly written and logically organized and comprehensive overview of molecular aspects of risk factors, symptoms, pathogenesis, biomarkers, and therapeutic strategies for various types of dementia. This book is written for the international audience of neurochemists, neuroscientists, neurologists, neuropharmacologists, and clinicians. The hope is that this discussion will not only integrate and consolidate knowledge in this field, but will jumpstart more studies on molecular mechanisms and therapeutic aspects of dementia. The comprehensive information in this monograph may not only help in early detection of various types of dementia and dementia linked neurological disorders, but also promote discovery of new drugs, which may block or delay the onset of dementia in elderly patients. Understanding the course of dementia is important not only for patients, caregivers, and health professionals, but also for health policy-makers, who have to plan for national resources needed in the management of an increasing number of dementia cases. Provides a comprehensive overview of molecular aspects of risk factors, symptoms, pathogenesis, biomarkers, and therapeutic strategies for various types of dementia Summarizes cutting edge research information on signal transduction processes associated with neurochemistry of dementia Discusses the synthesis, metabolism, and role of lipid mediators in dementia

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related neurological disease that affects tens of millions of people, in addition to their carers. Hallmark features of AD include plaques composed of amyloid beta, as well as neurofibrillary tangles of tau protein. However, despite more than a century of study, the cause of Alzheimer’s disease remains unresolved. The roles of amyloid beta and tau are being questioned and other causes of AD are now under consideration. The contributions of researchers, model organisms, and various hypotheses will be examined in this Special Issue.

This book examines every major aspect of Alzheimer disease at a time when there has been no scholarly research volume on the subject published in the last 3-5 years. This edition includes expanded coverage of the cellular-level exploration of related dementing disorders, with in-depth presentation of prion diseases, Pick's disease, fronto-temporal disorders, transgenic models, and biochemistry of presenilins.

Neurodegenerative diseases represent a very large group of heterogeneous disorders affecting specific subtypes of neurons in the brain. This book contributes insight both to the awareness of the brain and its neurodegenerative states. The chapters present current knowledge regarding genetics, molecular mechanisms, and new therapeutic strategies against neurodegenerative disorders. The book is intended to serve as a source to aid clinicians and researchers in the field, and also life science readers to increase their understanding and awareness of the clinical correlations, genetic aspects, neuropathological findings, and current therapeutic interventions in neurodegenerative diseases. I believe that this book will enlighten the curiosity for neurodegeneration and also encourage researchers to work on potentially effective molecular therapies for still mysterious neurodegenerative disorders.