Alzheimer Disease Sourcebook (Health Reference), 7th Edition

Approximately 5 million Americans are estimated to be living with the progressive, incurable, fatal brain disorder known as Alzheimer disease (AD). By 2050, this number is projected to quadruple and affect 14 million U.S. adults aged 65 years of age or older. AD, which accounts for between 60 percent and 80 percent of all cases of dementia, destroys brain cells, causes memory loss and confusion, and worsens over time until patients eventually lose the ability to work, walk, and communicate.

Alzheimer Disease Sourcebook, Seventh Edition provides updated information about the causes, symptoms, and stages of AD and other forms of dementia, including mild cognitive impairment, corticobasal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and dementia caused by infections. It discusses the structure of the brain, how it changes with age, and the cognitive decline and degeneration that occur in dementia. Facts about genetic testing, cognitive and behavioral symptoms, AD clinical trials, and recent research efforts are also included, along with information about legal, financial, and medical planning and coping strategies for caregivers. The book concludes with a glossary of related terms and directories of resources.