New Directions In Understanding Dementia And Alzheimer S Disease

The management of Alzheimer's Disease and the related dementias is one of the major challenges to health care professionals and American society-at-large for the coming decade and the coming millennium. The rapid growth of the over-eighty-five population, the group which, as recent studies have confirmed and as many of us clinicians have long suspected, has an even higher prevalence than previously quoted of dementing disorders, is the major cause of this. We are thus challenged by, as Bernard Issacs used to call it, "the survival of the unfittest," as well as the oPtimistic approach of "bringing life to years," as John F. Kennedy said. The fact is that we, as a society, tend to confuse "treatment" and "cure" (and "prevention"). As the proceedings of the conference which this book represents emphasize, there is considerable work going on about the potential prevention of, or at least the reduction of, symptomatology in these illnesses by interventions genetically, chemIcally, and so forth. However, the more we find out, the more complicated it becomes, and the more heterogeneous Alzheimer's and the related disorders appear to be, not only in their manifestations (as clinicians have long recognized) but also in the individual initiating and underlying processes. For these reasons, absolute preventive techniques or the likelihood of an intervention which will reverse the process in a high proportion of patients, do not appear to be just around the corner.

This comprehensive guide includes a checklist of early warning signs, the latest data pertaining to diagnosis, treatment, possible causes, and promising research, and information on the legal rights of patients and their families.

"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"--

Alzheimer's disease has received growing attention in recent years because the affected population is growing quickly as life spans in America creep ever upward. As they near retirement, many Americans start to fear that any minor memory lapse-misplacing the keys or forgetting a name-might spell Alzheimer's. In reality such incidents are a normal part of the aging process. In Alzheimer's disease, such incidents progress to a point at which they interfere with normal daily activities on a regular basis, and memory loss becomes progressively more disabling. This book is written for anyone interested in learning more about Alzheimer's disease-people who have it, their families and caregivers, professionals who serve such people, teachers, and anyone with a general interest in the disease. An important feature of this book is clear explanation of the basic biology of the disease. Here is information about who gets the disease, how it is diagnosed, and what happens to people who have it. A large section is devoted to the subject of caring for affected individuals, including legal and financial planning advice and pointers for finding outside support services. Existing treatments are discussed along with suggestions for handling many symptoms without drugs. Understanding Alzheimer's Disease describes the most current knowledge of how and why it arises and gives information about the many avenues being explored in search of a cure. With its chapters on causes and on the search for treatments, this guide will be of interest to a wider section of the population than other books on the disease.

As a focus for academic and professional study, dementia has moved rapidly from the margin to the mainstream during the last decade. Understanding of this distressing condition, its aetiology and recognition, has become much more widespread and sophisticated. Building on such clinical knowledge, this book challenges the reader - to think ethically and in a person-centred way about the implications of dementia at a personal, planning and service provision level - to consider consumer perspectives, not only those of carers but also the much neglected views of individuals with dementia - to explore less well documented areas such as dementia and Down's Syndrome, depression and early onset dementia. In conclusion, the book illuminates selected topical developments in service provision such as community care, advocacy and aspects of the built and social care environment.

Almost 25 years have passed since the Demography of Aging (1994) was published by the National Research Council. Future Directions for the Demography of Aging is, in many ways, the successor to that original volume. The Division of Behavioral and Social Research at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to produce an authoritative guide to new directions in demography of aging. The papers published in this report were originally presented and discussed at a public workshop held in Washington, D.C., August 17-18, 2017. The workshop discussion made evident that major new advances had been made in the last two decades, but also that new trends and research directions have emerged that call for innovative conceptual, design, and measurement approaches. The report reviews these recent trends and also discusses future directions for research on a range of topics that are central to current research in the demography of aging. Looking back over the past two decades of demography of aging research shows remarkable advances in our understanding of the health and well-being of the older population. Equally exciting is that this report sets the stage for the next two decades of innovative researchâ€"a period of rapid growth in the older American population.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 40 million people in the world are affected with dementia. To date, 60-70% of the cases of dementia are attributed to the Alzheimer's disease (AD). This neurodegenerative disorder gradually takes place over a period of at least 20 years before the onset of symptoms, which are impaired memory, apathy and depression. The characteristics of AD consist in neurofibrillary tangles (intraneuronal aggregates of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins) and senile plaques (dense extraneuronal deposits composed of amyloid ß (Aß)). The other features linked to these two core pathological hallmarks of AD are inflammation, oxidative stress, progressive synaptic and neuronal loss. In past years, some of the emerging therapeutic strategies against AD were employed to deal with the pathological hallmarks of the disease. Science teams all over the world try to restore the tau phosphorylation equilibrium. Their purpose is to interfere with the aggregation of tau and decrease its amount of proteins per se as well. Furthermore, they are trying either to stimulate the elimination processes of the aggregated tau proteins or to stop the formation of Aß peptides. This could be reached by the stimulation of the classic techniques of protein degradation such as the autophagic pathway, or by the targeted immunotherapy. In this Research Topic, we wish to summarize and review the etiology of AD and the related therapeutic opportunities for the next decades. To fully understand the precise mechanisms underlying AD, research findings, reviews, new insights and new approaches include AD and related tauopathies, tau phosphorylation balance, pharmacological compounds against AD, neuroprotection strategies and new therapeutic ways but also risk factors for AD and AD genetic information are included in this issue.