Alzheimer's Disease (Biographies of Disease)

158 Pages·2011·0.85 MB·English

by  Linda C. Lu

Alzheimer’s Disease
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Alzheimer’s Disease
Linda C. Lu and Juergen H. Bludau
Biographies of Disease
Julie K. Silver, M.D., Series Editor
Copyright 2011 by Linda C. Lu and Juergen H. Bludau
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a
review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lu, Linda C.
Alzheimer’s disease / Linda C. Lu and Juergen H. Bludau.
p. ; cm. — (Biographies of disease)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-313-38110-2 (alk. paper) — ISBN 978-0-313-38111-9 (ebook)
1. Alzheimer’s disease. I. Bludau, Juergen. II. Title. III. Series: Biographies of
disease. 1940-445X
[DNLM: 1. Alzheimer Disease—etiology. 2. Alzheimer Disease—diagnosis.
3. Alzheimer Disease—therapy. WT 155]
RC523.L8 2011
616.8'31— dc22 2010041534
ISBN: 978-0-313-38110-2
EISBN: 978-0-313-38111-9
15 14 13 12 11 1 2 3 4 5
This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook.
Visit www.abc-clio.com for details.
Greenwood
An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC
ABC-CLIO, LLC
130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911
Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
Contents
Series Foreword vii
Preface ix
Introduction xi
Chapter 1. What Is Alzheimer’s Disease? 1
Chapter 2. What Causes Alzheimer’s Disease? 15
Chapter 3. What Are the Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease? 27
Chapter 4. How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosed? 39
Chapter 5. How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Treated? 59
Chapter 6. The Course and Complications of Alzheimer’s Disease 79
Chapter 7. How Does Alzheimer’s Disease Affect
the Family and Caregivers? 89
Chapter 8. Scientifi c and Clinical Research in Alzheimer’s Disease 103
vi Contents
Appendix A. Narratives 111
Appendix B. Timeline 123
Appendix C. 10 Useful Web Sites 127
Glossary 131
Bibliography 133
Index 139
Series Foreword
E
very disease has a story to tell: about how it started long ago and began to
disable or even take the lives of its innocent victims, about the way it
hurts us, and about how we are trying to stop it. In this Biographies of Dis-
ease series, the authors tell the stories of the diseases that we have come to know
and dread.
The stories of these diseases have all of the components that make for great
literature. There is incredible drama played out in real-life scenes from the past,
present, and future. You’ll read about how men and women of science stumbled
trying to save the lives of those they aimed to protect. Turn the pages and you’ll
also learn about the amazing success of those who fought for health and won,
often saving thousands of lives in the process.
If you don’t want to be a health professional or research scientist now, when
you fi nish this book you may think differently. The men and women in this book
are heroes who often risked their own lives to save or improve ours. This is the
biography of a disease, but it is also the story of real people who made incredible
sacrifi ces to stop it in its tracks.
Julie K. Silver, M.D.
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
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Preface
T
his book provides the reader with a comprehensive, clinically sound,
yet easy to understand overview of Alzheimer’s disease. The more we
understand about this disease, the more complicated it appears to be-
come. What we do know, and increasingly recognize, is that Alzheimer’s disease
is becoming a major concern to the health care system of any society. For this
reason it is even more important to know as much about this disease as possible.
Only then will we be better at recognizing and ultimately supporting people who
suffer from it.
T o this extent the book starts with a general introduction to Alzheimer’s dis-
ease and how it disrupts brain function. This is followed by a summary of the
currently known risk factors for the disease and the classical symptoms and dis-
ease course people usually present with. The diagnosis and treatment options are
discussed in detail and particular emphasis is placed on the effect the disease has
on the family and caregivers. The book ends with a look at the current research
into the disease and some promising future treatment options.
Using case studies as examples along the way makes the book come alive and
the disease as real to the reader as it is to the patients and their caregivers.