Neuropsychology Of Cognitive Decline

Presenting best practices for assessment and intervention with older adults experiencing cognitive decline, this book draws on cutting-edge research and extensive clinical experience. The authors' integrative approach skillfully interweaves neuropsychological and developmental knowledge. The volume provides guidelines for evaluating and differentiating among normal aging, subjective cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment, and different types of dementia. It identifies risk and protective factors that may influence an individual's trajectory and describes how to create a sound case conceptualization. Evidence-based strategies for pharmacological, cognitive, behavioral, and psychological intervention with patients and their caregivers are illustrated with vivid case examples.

With the aging of the baby boomers and medical advances that promote longevity, older adults are rapidly becoming the fastest growing segment of the population. As the population ages, so does the incidence of age related disorders. Many predict that 15% - 20% of the baby-boomer generation will develop some form of cognitive decline over the course of their lifetime, with estimates escalating to up to 50% in those achieving advanced age. Although much attention has been directed at Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, it is estimated that nearly one third of those cases of cognitive decline result from other neuropathological mechanisms. In fact, many patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease likely have co-morbid disorders that can also influence cognition (i.e., vascular cognitive impairment), suggesting mixed dementias are grossly under diagnosed. The Clinical Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementia is a unique work that provides clinicians with expert guidance and a hands-on approach to neuropsychological practice with older adults. The book will be divided into two sections, the first addressing special considerations for the evaluation of older adults, and the second half focusing on common referral questions likely to be encountered when working with this age group. The authors of the chapters are experts and are recognized by their peers as opinion leaders in their chosen chapter topics. The field of neuropsychology has played a critical role in developing methods for early identification of late life cognitive disorders as well as the differential diagnosis of dementia. Neuropsychological assessment provides valuable clinical information regarding the nature and severity of cognitive symptoms associated with dementia. Each chapter will reinforce the notion that neuropsychological measures provide the clinician with sensitive tools to differentiate normal age-related cognitive decline from disease-associated impairment, aid in differential diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction in older adults, as well as identify cognitive deficits most likely to translate into functional impairments in everyday life.

This book describes the latest advances in our psychological understanding of Alzheimer's disease, bringing together the main experts in this field to describe recent developments. It will be valuable for people working in related disciplines, such as neurology, psychiatry and neuroscience researchers, as well as providing an introduction to the field for psychologists.

The Classic Edition of this foundational text includes a new preface from Holly A. Tuokko, examining how the field of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) has developed since first publication. Bringing together research from multiple studies and perspectives from various countries, the volume identifies MCI as an important clinical transition between normal aging and the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The up-to-date preface highlights the expansion in research, examining the benefits of various pharmacological, cognitive and behavioral approaches to intervention. Influenced by recent findings in neuroplasticity across the lifespan, the book recognizes the importance of intervention at the earliest stages of the decline trajectory. It revisits the contested diagnostic approaches for MCI as well as the varying prevalence of MCI internationally, yet points to the need for further longitudinal studies to fully understand the condition. Mild Cognitive Impairment continues to provide a comprehensive resource for clinicians, researchers and students involved in the study, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of people with MCI.

"As you have grown older, you may have noticed changes in your memory. You might find yourself walking into a room and forgetting why you are there. It might be more difficult to remember the name of someone you just met. You may also notice that it takes longer to come up with words in conversation"--

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Neurovascular diseases and conditions, and their associated risk factors, represent a significant cause of cognitive disability in the United States and throughout the world. In the USA alone there are 750,000 new strokes each year, representing the number one cause of disability in the country. Hypertension, found in approximately 50 million Americans, has been shown to be associated with alterations of cognitive function, even in the absence of stroke and dementia. Recent studies of neurovascular disease have now revealed that neuropsychological function may be a more sensitive measure of brain integrity than coordination, motor or sensory function and correlates will with functional outcome measures. Neurovascular Neuropsychology focuses on focal and diffuse neurovascular disease in addition to systemic conditions in which cognition and behavior have been uniquely associated with different pathologic states. With an increasing number of patients being treated by healthcare professionals, Neurovascular Neuropsychology will prove to be a strong reference to consult in regards to neuropsychological syndromes.

Cognitive reserve has emerged as a powerful concept for interpreting individual differences in susceptibility to, and recovery from, brain injury or pathology. Underlying cognitive reserve is the idea that individual differences in how cognitive tasks are mediated in the brain allow some people to cope with pathology to a greater degree than others. Cognitive Reserve: Theory and Applications describes in depth the source of these individual differences. This volume provides a comprehensive review of theory, research and clinical application of the cognitive reserve. Chapters explore the theoretical underpinnings of cognitive reserve, and evidence for its existence. Various approaches for studying this concept are addressed, including epidemiologic, cognitive experimental, and neuroimaging. Possible genetic and physiologic underpinnings of cognitive reserve are presented. Application of this concept to a wide range of situations, including child development, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, HIV, and head injury is discussed. The result is an up-to-date, global treatment of cognitive reserve that will be of interest to someone new to the concept or the experienced investigator.