Alzheimer's & Dementia: Questions You Have...Answers You Need

365 Pages·1996·0.7 MB·English

by  Jennifer Hay

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Page 1
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Questions you have Answers you need
Page 2
Other Books in This Series From the People's Medical Society
Arthritis: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Asthma: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Back Pain: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Blood Pressure: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Cholesterol & Triglycerides: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Depression: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Diabetes: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Hearing Loss: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Prostate: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Stroke: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Vitamins and Minerals: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Your Eyes: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Your Heart: Questions You Have Answers You Need
Page 3
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Questions you have Answers you need
By Jennifer Hay
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Page 4
The People's Medical Society is a nonprofit consumer health
organization dedicated to the principles of better, more responsive and
less expensive medical care. Organized in 1983, the People's Medical
Society puts previously unavailable medical information into the
hands of consumers so that they can make informed decisions about
their own health care.
Membership in the People's Medical Society is $20 a year and
includes a subscription to the People's Medical Society Newsletter For
information, write to the People's Medical Society, 462 Walnut Street,
Allentown, PA 18102, or call 610-770-1670.
This and other People's Medical Society publications are available for
quantity purchase at discount. Contact the People's Medical Society
for details.
Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to
distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those
designations appear in this book and the People's Medical Society was
aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed in
initial capital letters (e.g., Cognex).
© 1996 by the People's Medical Society
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hay, Jennifer, 1964
Alzheimer's & dementia : questions you haveanswers you need
/ by Jennifer Hay.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 1-882606-57-4
1. DementiaMiscellanea. 2. Alzheimer's diseaseMiscellanea.
I. People's Medical Society (U.S.) II. Title.
RC521.H39 1996
616.8'3dc20 95-53678
CIP
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
First printing, March 1996
Page 5
Contents
Introduction 9
Chapter 1 13
Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: An Overview
Cognitive Symptoms 19
Emotional Symptoms 20
Behavioral Symptoms 21
Chapter 2 25
Causes of Reversible Dementia
Drug Intoxication 25
Alcohol and other Poisons 28
Depression 30
Nutritional Deficiencies 32
Brain Disorders 33
Diseases 36
Metabolic Conditions 37
Organ Dysfunction 38
Chapter 3 41
Causes of Irreversible Dementia
Parkinson's Disease 42
AIDS 44
Multiple Sclerosis 45
Huntington's Disease 46
Wilson's Disease 47
Vascular Dementia 48
Alzheimer's Disease 52
Progression 52
The Mechanics 55
Theories on Causes 57
Prevention 64
Page 6
Pick's Disease 67
Lewy Body Dementia 68
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease 69
Chapter 4 72
Diagnosing Dementia
Physical Examination 73
Medical History 73
Neurological Tests 74
Laboratory Tests 77
Brain Imaging and Function Tests 79
Chapter 5 84
Medical Treatment
Treatments for Vascular Dementia 84
Treatment for Alzheimer's Disease 87
On the Horizon 89
Cholinergic Drugs 89
Drugs that Slow Neuron Degeneration 90
Nerve Growth Factor 92
Anti-Inflammatory Drugs 92
Treatments for Dementia Symptoms 93
Agitation and Anxiety 94
Hallucinations, Delusions and Paranoia 96
Depression 97
Sleep Disturbances 97
Chapter 6 99
Living with Dementia: An Overview
The Needs of People with Dementia 101
Meeting Needs 103
Formulating a Plan 105
Planning for the Future 107
Financial Planning 107
Health-Care Planning 110
Putting the Plan into Action 112