Defying Dementia: Understanding and Preventing Alzheimer's and Related Disorders

by Robert A. Levine M.D.

Overview

How do we motivate ourselves and others to take action or change behavior in response to the threat of dementia - a threat that may or may not be relevant to everyone? Yet, with such high stakes and devastating outcomes, how can we ignore those methods that could be useful in heading off this dreaded scourge? Longtime neurologist Robert Levine argues we cannot continue the way we have, pretending that dementia cannot happen to us. The earlier the campaign is initiated to repel and defend against the threat of dementia, the greater the chances the combatant will emerge victorious. Dementia is merciless, comes in various forms, and does not necessarily discriminate, so taking action early is one of our best defenses. Once dementia has taken hold, however, there are considerable challenges for both the sufferer and his or her loved ones. Levine urges us to take action to prevent the onset of dementia, but also caringly discusses ways to handle it once it takes root. As American society continues to grow older, tackling one of the more confusing and frightening diseases becomes a more urgent need. This book urges understanding, offers preventative measures, considers various treatments, and looks to the future to see where we might be headed. In a new afterword, Levine updates the state of the research into dementia, its causes and constitution, and considers the various approaches both the medical community and everyday people can take to deal with it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442204836
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	08/16/2010
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Robert Levine, M.D., is former chief of neurology at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut and retired clinical professor at Yale University. He has authored two other books, Aging With Attitude and Shock Therapy For The American Health Care System.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgements xi

I Understanding Dementia 1

1 Introduction 3

2 Confounders of Dementia: Normal Aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Pseudo-dementia 21

3 Alzheimer's Disease 37

4 Fronto-Temporal Dementia-Pick's Disease 67

5 Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson's Disease Dementia 79

6 Vascular Dementia and Mixed Dementia 101

7 Less Common Forms of Dementia 111

II Lowering the Risk of Dementia and Maximizing Cognitive Function 127

8 Accelerated Aging, Cognitive Reserve and What We Can't Control 129

9 The Importance of Physical Activity and Exercise 141

10 The Need for Cognitive Stimulation and Socialization 157

11 Diet and Substances That May Reduce the Risk of Dementia 173

Afterword 191

Epilogue to the New Edition 193

Notes 215

Glossary 235

Index 239

Editorial Reviews

This guide to understanding and preventing dementia is aimed at general readers, caregivers, health professionals, and family members of impaired patients. Levine provides an overview of types, causes, symptoms, and diagnosis; discusses normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and pseudo-dementia; and examines Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, Parkinson's disease with dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, and vascular and mixed dementia. Preventative measures, such as exercise, cognitive stimulation and socialization, and diet, are preceded by a discussion of causes of accelerated brain aging and other factors.

Scitech Book News

'How do we induce people to address a potential problem on the distant horizon when they currently feel well?' asks Dr. Robert Levine in his book Defying Dementia. Dr. Levine argues that readers must understand dementia and related disorders and then take action to prevent them before they occur. With this approach in mind, Dr. Levine has divided Defying Dementia into two sections: one that explains what dementia is; the other that focuses on the types of preventative actions that readers can take to avoid it. Throughout, the book is filled with short vignettes that illustrate how others can recognize the early signs of this devastating disorder.

Solutions

Defying Dementia is an informative book that might be useful to clinicians familiar with the disease and who would like to know more. A good deal of dementia-related research is summarized in a succinct and readable way given a background in neurology-related fields.

Metapsychology Online

Defying Dementia presents a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the field of dementing diseases. This scholarly written textbook depicts the entire breadth and depth of this uniquely complex subject with unusual clarity and ease.

Martin J. Sadowski

Dementia, in its many forms, exerts a huge emotional, physical, and economic toll on victims, their families, and the social and health care delivery system. Gerontologists predict that by 2050, the number of people with these diseases will double. In this book, neurologist Levine provides an overview of the state of knowledge regarding Alzheimer's and related dementias. Written in a sophisticated but accessible style, the book is divided into two sections. The first explains the anatomy and physiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the full spectrum of dementias. The second section, titled "Lowering the Risk", features four chapters offering evidence-based lifestyle changes and interventions that could potentially decrease the risk of developing dementia and/or maximize cognitive functioning. Levine's intended audience is the intelligent layperson, but the book would be equally appropriate for selected health professionals or social service students seeking general coverage of the topic.. .. This succinct, credible resource on these devastating diseases sums up the present-day state of affairs and hints at the future.

Choice Reviews

Dementia, in its many forms, exerts a huge emotional, physical, and economic toll on victims, their families, and the social and health care delivery system. Gerontologists predict that by 2050, the number of people with these diseases will double. In this book, neurologist Levine provides an overview of the state of knowledge regarding Alzheimer's and related dementias. Written in a sophisticated but accessible style, the book is divided into two sections. The first explains the anatomy and physiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the full spectrum of dementias. The second section, titled "Lowering the Risk", features four chapters offering evidence-based lifestyle changes and interventions that could potentially decrease the risk of developing dementia and/or maximize cognitive functioning. Levine's intended audience is the intelligent layperson, but the book would be equally appropriate for selected health professionals or social service students seeking general coverage of the topic.. .. This succinct, credible resource on these devastating diseases sums up the present-day state of affairs and hints at the future.

Choice

Defying Dementia is an informative book that might be useful to clinicians familiar with the disease and who would like to know more. A good deal of dementia-related research is summarized in a succinct and readable way given a background in neurology-related fields.

Metapsychology Online Reviews

Defying Dementia is an informative book that might be useful to clinicians familiar with the disease and who would like to know more. A good deal of dementia-related research is summarized in a succinct and readable way given a background in neurology-related fields.

Metapsychology

Dementia, in its many forms, exerts a huge emotional, physical, and economic toll on victims, their families, and the social and health care delivery system. Gerontologists predict that by 2050, the number of people with these diseases will double. In this book, neurologist Levine provides an overview of the state of knowledge regarding Alzheimer's and related dementias. Written in a sophisticated but accessible style, the book is divided into two sections. The first explains the anatomy and physiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the full spectrum of dementias. The second section, titled "Lowering the Risk", features four chapters offering evidence-based lifestyle changes and interventions that could potentially decrease the risk of developing dementia and/or maximize cognitive functioning. Levine's intended audience is the intelligent layperson, but the book would be equally appropriate for selected health professionals or social service students seeking general coverage of the topic.. .. This succinct, credible resource on these devastating diseases sums up the present-day state of affairs and hints at the future.

CHOICE