The Encyclopedia of Alzheimer's Disease (Facts on File Library of Health and Living)

305 Pages·2003·1.03 MB·English

by  Carol Turkington

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Carol Turkington
Foreword by
James E. Galvin, M.D., M.Sc.
The Encyclopedia of Alzheimer’s Disease
Copyright © 2003 by Carol Turkington
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Turkington, Carol.
The encyclopedia of Alzheimer’s disease / Carol Turkington ; foreword by James E. Galvin.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8160-4818-5 (HC)
1. Alzheimer’s disease—Encyclopedias. I. Title.
[DNLM: 1. Alzheimer Disease—Encyclopedias. WT 13
T939e 2002]
RC523.T87 2003
616.8’31’003—dc21
2002011981
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Text and cover design by Cathy Rincon
Printed in the United States of America
VB Hermitage 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
To my wife, Doris, and my sons, Chris, Jake, and Conor.
They are my source of inspiration and strength.
—J.E.G.
CONTENTS
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction xv
Entries A–Z 1
Appendixes 209
Glossary 253
Bibliography 255
Index 273
FOREWORD
ementia is a major public health problem, dementing disorder, increases with age for every
Dcrossing gender, socioeconomic, and ethnic decade after 65. It is currently estimated that there
lines. It is not a single disease but, rather, a symp- are more than 4.5 million Americans with AD, up
tom of many conditions causing brain dysfunction. to half of whom may be undiagnosed.
It is associated with a wide range of symptoms, About one in 10 individuals over the age of 65
modes of onset, clinical courses, and therapeutic and half of everyone over age 85 will develop
responses. This diverse and rich background of dementia. In addition to AD, other common causes
clinical symptoms provides researchers with valu- of dementia are cerebrovascular disease and
able “testing grounds” for developing theories and Parkinson’s disease. The annual cost of caring for
insights into the basic inner workings of the brain patients with dementia is greater than $100 billion.
and of the mind. In addition to individuals with overt clinical
From a layperson’s perspective, however, dementia, terms such as mild cognitive impairment and
dementia is a “thief” that steals away a person’s age-associated memory impairment have been proposed
knowledge, memory, and awareness. The affected to characterize older individuals who have cognitive
individuals become, in effect, something other than deficits (particularly in memory) with relative
who they were. The basic human attributes that preservation of other cognitive abilities and function
distinguish each of us—personality, language, in daily life. It has been difficult to reach consensus,
behavior, judgment, abstract reasoning, and social however, on how and when these entities should be
skills—are stripped away, leaving behind a victim diagnosed. Moreover, because the prevalence of
who is uncommunicative, uncomprehending, and dementia increases with age, and because there is
unresponsive. I use the term victim deliberately, wide variation in test performance among normal
because anyone who has seen a loved one changed older adults, the boundaries between age-related
by the progression of these relentless disorders cognitive decline and very early dementia are some-
knows this image is apt. times uncertain, both to the patients and to the
I often look upon my patients with sorrow physicians who treat them.
because I am all too aware of what changes to In the early part of the 20th century, Dr. Alois
expect. I am in awe of the inner strength and Alzheimer described his first patient (Auguste D)
resolve of so many caregivers who strive to provide with the disorder that would come to bear his
their loved ones with the care they deserve and name. A psychiatrist, Dr. Alzheimer examined
look for answers—and for hope. Auguste D in an institutionalized setting after she
These are not uncommon problems. There is a was admitted for delusions of extreme jealousy and
good chance that everyone who opens this book spousal infidelity. She lived but four and a half years
will know someone with dementia. The prevalence after admission to the sanitarium. Dr. Alzheimer
of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common performed an autopsy and described the classic
ix