100 Questions & Answers About Alzheimer's Disease

by Thomas M. Wisniewski, Marcin Sadowski

Overview

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease can be heartbreaking news. Whether you’re newly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or are a friend or relative of someone with Alzheimer’s, this book offers help. The only text to provide a doctor’s and patient’s view, 100 Questions & Answers About Alzheimer’s Disease gives you authoritative, practical answers to your questions about treatment options, quality of life, caregiving, sources of support, and much more. Written by two prominent neurologists specializing in treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone coping with the physical and emotional turmoil of this frightening disease.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763732547
Publisher:	Jones & Bartlett Learning
Publication date:	05/12/2004
Series:	100 Questions & Answers about
Edition description:	1E
Pages:	214
Product dimensions:	0.48(w) x 6.00(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Thomas Wisniewski is an Associate Professor of Neurology, Pathology, and Psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine and an Attending Neurologist at the Tisch Hospital New York University Medical Center. He also serves as an Attending Physician at Bellevue Hospital and at the New York Veterans Affair Medical Center. Dr. Wisniewski graduated from King’s College Medical School, University of London, England in 1983. He received training as a neurologist at New York University Medical Center, from 1984 until 1988 and as a neuropathologist at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, N.Y. from 1988 until 1990. Dr. Wisniewski is a co-author of over 150 publications related to Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias. He is a recipient of numerous research grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer’s Disease Association. He has lectured on the topic of Alzheimer’s disease at many national and international meetings. The scope of Dr. Wisniewski’s daily work is divided between the care of patients with dementia, teaching, and directing a research laboratory.

Dr. Marcin Sadowski is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at New York University School of Medicine and an Attending Neurologist at Tisch Hospital New York University Medical Center. He also serves as an Attending Physician at Bellevue Hospital and is a Neurology Consultant at the New York Veterans Affair Medical Center. Dr. Sadowski received his M.D. from Gdansk School of Medicine, in Gdansk, Poland in 1995. In 1996, he received a Ph.D. for his work on brain connections from the same institution. Between 1996 and 1998, Dr. Sadowski was a postdoctoral research fellow in the New York State Institute for Basic Research on Staten Island, N.Y. where he worked on the pathomechanisms of Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. From 1998 until 2002 he was a neurology resident at New York University Medical Center, and in 2002 he was appointed an Assistant Professor of Neurology. Dr. Sadowski is a recipient of a prestigious career development award from the National Institute of Aging. He is also an author of 35 publications related to Alzheimer’s disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or brain ischemia. Dr. Sadowski divides his time equally among research on development of new treatment and clinical approaches for Alzheimer’s disease, taking care of patients with dementia and teaching.

Table of Contents

	Dedication	iii
	Introduction	vii
Part 1.	The Basics	1
	What is Alzheimer's disease?
	Is AD a new disease? Was it less common 20 years ago?
	Is AD hereditary?
	What should I know about the brain to understand AD?
Part 2.	Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Diagnosis	21
	What causes AD?
	Does the risk of AD increase with age?
	What is early-onset familial AD?
	Can strokes or head injury cause AD?
Part 3.	Treatment	89
	What are the goals of treating AD?
	Why do I need a brain scan?
	What is the vaccine for AD?
Part 4.	Caring for a Person with AD	117
	How do I tell other family members about a diagnosis of AD?
	Why do people with AD become agitated?
	What legal and financial issues should I be aware of?
Part 5.	Searching for the Cure	183
	Are any new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches under development?
	Can AD-damaged nerve cells be restored?
	What are the pros and cons of joining a clinical trial? How do I join?
	Appendix	195
	Glossary	199
	Index	211

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: David O. Staats, MD (University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center)
Description: This book is written to give information to caregivers and family members of persons with Alzheimer's disease. It is written as answers to questions.
Purpose: The purpose is to educate families and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease about the nature of the illness and about current and future approaches to treating and managing the illness. These are worthy objectives, but the authors miss the mark a bit in the answers they give.
Audience: The authors, experienced clinicians and researchers in Alzheimer's disease, clearly intend this book for families and caregivers of demented persons, especially those with Alzheimer's disease.
Features: This book discusses the nature of Alzheimer's disease, its diagnosis, management, and treatment, along with helpful advice for caregivers. There is a glossary and an appendix of helpful organizations and Web sites.
Assessment: This book might confuse caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. In a number of places, the results of diagnostic testing, suggestions of risk reduction, and methods of treatment that are currently experimental may be mistakenly perceived as being generally available to the public. In other places, the concepts and language may be too technical to be of the most help to the intended audience.

Doody's Review Service

Reviewer: David O. Staats, MD(University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center)
Description: This book is written to give information to caregivers and family members of persons with Alzheimer's disease. It is written as answers to questions.
Purpose: The purpose is to educate families and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease about the nature of the illness and about current and future approaches to treating and managing the illness. These are worthy objectives, but the authors miss the mark a bit in the answers they give.
Audience: The authors, experienced clinicians and researchers in Alzheimer's disease, clearly intend this book for families and caregivers of demented persons, especially those with Alzheimer's disease.
Features: This book discusses the nature of Alzheimer's disease, its diagnosis, management, and treatment, along with helpful advice for caregivers. There is a glossary and an appendix of helpful organizations and Web sites.
Assessment: This book might confuse caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease. In a number of places, the results of diagnostic testing, suggestions of risk reduction, and methods of treatment that are currently experimental may be mistakenly perceived as being generally available to the public. In other places, the concepts and language may be too technical to be of the most help to the intended audience.