Concepts of Alzheimer Disease: Biological, Clinical, and Cultural Perspectives(Gerontology)

As the essays in this volume show, conceptualizing dementia has always been a complex process. With contributions from noted professionals in psychiatry, neurology, molecular biology, sociology, history, ethics, and health policy, Concepts of Alzheimer Disease looks at the ways in which Alzheimer disease has been defined in various historical and cultural contexts. The book covers every major development in the field, from the first case described by Alois Alzheimer in 1907 through groundbreaking work on the genetics of the disease. Essays examine not only the prominent role that biomedical and clinical researchers have played in defining Alzheimer disease, but also the ways in which the perspectives of patients, their caregivers, and the broader public have shaped concepts.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments List of Contributors Part I: The Cases of Auguste D. And Johann F. Chapter 1. Auguste D.: The History of Alois Alzheimer's First Case Chapter 2. Johann F.: The Historical Relevance of the Case for the Concept of Alzheimer Disease Part II: From Alzheimer to the Present Chapter 3. Neurofibrillary Changes: The Hallmark of Alzheimer Disease Chapter 4. Contributions of German Neuroscience to the Concept of Alzheimer Disease Chapter 5. Beyond the Characteristic Plaques and Tangles: Mid-Twentieth-Century U.S. Psychiatry and the Fight Against Senility Chapter 6. The Rediscover of Alzheimer Disease During the 1960s and 1970s Chapter 7. The History of the Genetics of Alzheimer Disease Part III: Alzheimer Disease as a Social and Cultural Entity Chapter 8. Alzheimer Disease: Epistemological Lessons From History? Chapter 9. Aging, Culture, and the Framing of Alzheimer Disease Chapter 10. Narrative Practice and the Inner World of the Alzheimer Disease Experience Part IV: Politics, Policy, and the Perspectives of the Caregiver and Patient Chapter 11. The Role of the Concept of Alzheimer Disease in the Development of the Alzheimer's Association in the United States Chapter 12. The History of the Alzheimer's Association: Future Public Policy Implications Chapter 13. The Concept of Alzheimer Disease in a Hypercognitive Society Part V: Progress and Its Problems Chapter 14. Alzheimer Disease and the New Biology Chapter 15. The Genetics of Alzheimer Disease: Some Future Implications Chapter 16. History and the Future of Alzheimer Disease Index

About the Author :
Peter J. Whitehouse, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor of neurology, psychiatry, neuroscience, psychology, nursing, organizational behavior, and biomedical ethics at the Fairhill Center for Aging, Case Western Reserve University, and a founding director of the Alzheimer Center at the University Hospitals of Cleveland. Konrad Maurer, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor in and head of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, and director of the Clinic for Psychiatry, at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. Jesse F. Ballenger, Ph.D., is a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of the History of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University.

Review :
The first sentence of this excellent book sums up both its content and the reason one should read it: 'it is ironic that the professional and popular discourse surrounding Alzheimer disease (AD), whose most dreadful feature is the obliteration of memory, proceeds with little awareness of its past.' And if Santayana's often-quoted statement about those who cannot remember the past is true, what does this mean for studies of dementia? This book attempts to answer the question and does so very successfully. -- A. M. Clarfield, M.D. New England Journal of Medicine This book will be an inspiration of greatest interest to anyone engaged in biological or social research in AD. Clinical Gerontologist This is an excellent book, both for the newcomer to the study of Alzheimer disease and to the seasoned reader and clinician. -- A. MacDonald Aging and Mental Health