Memory Cure: How to Protect Your Brain Against Memory Loss and Alzheimer's Disease 2004 Edition

257 Pages·2004·8.48 MB·English

by  Majid Fotuhi

THE
MEMORY
CURE
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR BRAIN
AGAINST MEMORY LOSS AND
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
MAJID FOTUHI,
M.D., PH.D.
McGraw-Hill
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DOI: 10.1036/0071426019
To my father with love and gratitude:
He planted in me a fascination with the human brain
and a passion to become an author,a doctor,and a professor—
ever since I was a child.
And to the families taking care of patients with
Alzheimer’s disease:
I salute their dedication and admire their patience.
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CONTENTS
foreword ix
acknowledgments x
Introduction xii
PART I THE AGING BRAIN
1
Perfect Memory for Life
3
How Memory Works 3
Perfect but Slower Memory Skills 8
Sight, Sounds, and Memory 10
Teenagers versus Retirees 11
Memory Lapses and Laughter 12
Variation in Memory Performance 12
There’s Hope 13
Copyright 2003 by Majid Fortuhi. Click Here for Terms of Use.
vi
CONTENTS
2
Understanding the Aging Brain
15
Your Brain and Your Behavior 15
Your Brain at Work 18
Navigating through Your Brain 20
Brain Cells Talking 24
Brain Potential 26
Brain Reserve 27
Aging and Your Brain 30
A Balancing Act 31
3
A Lifetime of Memory
33
Memory Problems across Ages 33
Cognition 34
Characteristics of Alzheimer’s Disease 39
AAMI, MCI, or Alzheimer’s?¿ 44
4
a journey Inside an Alzheimer’s Brain
49
The Discovery of Plaques and Tangles 50
Alzheimer’s Disease and Strokes 55
Piece of a Puzzle 58
5
If it’s Not Alzheimer’s disease, What is it?
61
Common Causes of Memory Loss 62
Less Obvious Causes of Memory Loss 69
Looking for Answers 71
vii
CONTENTS
PART II THE memory protection plan
6
Protect Your Brain Against
Memory Loss and Alzheimer’s Disease
75
Risk Factors 75
Memory Protection Plan: 10 Steps
to Better Memory in Your Seventies 80
taking the first steps 127
7
New medications for Alzheimer’s
prevention and treatment
129
Preventing Alzheimer’s with Vitamins,
Drugs, Herbs, and Hormones 130
Drugs for Treating Alzheimer’s Disease 135
Future Treatment of Alzheimer’s 137
PART III on the horizon
8
Diagnosing Alzheimer’s Disease
143
Who Should Do an Evaluation¿? 144
Memory Lapses or Alzheimer’s Disease¿? 145
Specific Steps in Making a Diagnosis 145
Who Makes the Final Diagnosis?¿ 148
Neuropsychological Tests 148
Why There’s No Definitive Test 154
viii
CONTENTS
9
Heredity and Alzheimer’s
159
Late Onset Alzheimer’s 159
Early Onset Familial Alzheimer’s 161
The Heredity Link to Alzheimer’s 162
Alzheimer’s Disease and Women 165
Alzheimer’s and African Americans 166
How Common Is Alzheimer’s Disease
in North America?¿ 167
Afterword
Exciting and engaging your memory
169
Exercises to Help You Remember 170
Appendix a
resources
179
Appendix b
clinical trials
201
Appendix c
alzheimer’s disease centers
209
EndNotes
217
Index
229
FOREWORD
Scientists around the world are studying the causes of memory and cogni-
tive impairment in late life, and they all agree that aging is not associated
with significant memory loss. They also agree that significant decline is
related to brain disease.Thanks to dramatic advances in research,scientists
have a much better understanding of the molecular changes that occur in
the brains of older people and believe that these discoveries will lead to
better treatments,cures,and preventions in our lifetime.
In The Memory Cure,Dr.Fotuhi reviews recent discoveries in the field
of memory research.He describes how memory works and what degree of
forgetfulness can be expected with normal aging. He also describes the
characteristic features of Alzheimer’s disease and gives an up-to-date
account of our current understanding of the brain changes that accompany
the disease.
In the past two years, scientists have discovered a number of risk fac-
tors for developing memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Fotuhi pre-
sents these recent discoveries and discusses the role of high blood pressure,
high cholesterol,and other vascular risk factors in memory loss and the pos-
sibilities of developing Alzheimer’s.He also discusses the role of diet,exer-
cise, and vitamin E in prevention of the disease. Outlining the diagnosis
process,he explains the kinds of tests used to distinguish Alzheimer’s from
other causes of memory loss,and he explains how heredity is connected to
cognitive decline.Finally,he shares a memory protection plan that explains
what individuals can do to keep their memory function at its maximum.
Dr. Fotuhi has performed a real service in pulling together this infor-
mation, and he presents it in a way that is understandable, logical, and
usable. This book epitomizes the phrase “user-friendly” and will benefit
many people.
Peter V.Rabins,M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
ix
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