Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease Stages, Treatment Options, and Other Medical Considerations, Second Edition

By Laura Town and Karen Hoffman

A diagnosis of dementia can be scary and overwhelming. This book, updated in 2020, describes what is known right now about Alzheimer’s disease—the most common cause of dementia—including its pathological features, stages, symptoms and prognosis at each stage, and treatment options. This book can help you recognize warning signs of dementia and decipher the difference between the disease and normal aging. This book also helps you find a doctor who will meet the needs of your loved one with dementia, and it describes the tests used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, a comparison of the different types of dementia is included and a discussion of methods to delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Special considerations for individuals with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease are also described. Finally, this book examines the usefulness of clinical trials and discusses potential new diagnostic and treatment tools.

Chosen by Book Authority as one of the best books on dementia of all time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laura Town
• Release date: Mar 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781943414215

Laura Town

Laura Town is an experienced author and editor who has contributed to many books for the academic, professional, and lay populations. Laura has written on a variety of topics of special interest to the aging population. She has expertise in the field of finance, and she has contributed to several online nursing courses and texts. Her work has been published by John Wiley and Sons and the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and she has also written for the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). As an editor, Laura has worked with Pearson Education, Prentice Hall, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, John Wiley and Sons, and the University of Pennsylvania.Laura is the founder and president of WilliamsTown Communications, a company that creates educational courses and texts for publishers, universities, and non-profits. She is also the past president of the Indiana chapter of AMWA.

Book preview

Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease Stages, Treatment Options, and Other Medical Considerations, Second Edition

By Laura Town and Karen Hoffman

Published by Omega Press

Zionsville, IN 46077

© 2021 Omega Press

ISBN: 978-1-943414-21-5

While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this book has been obtained from reliable sources, Laura Town, Karen Hoffman, and Omega Press are not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. The information is provided as is without warranty of any kind. The information available in this book is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal, financial, or healthcare advice. You should contact your attorney, financial planner, or physician to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. In addition, Laura Town, Karen Hoffman, and Omega Press do not endorse any products mentioned in this book, nor do they assume any responsibility for the interpretation or application of any information originating from such content.

Production Credits:

Authors: Laura Town and Karen Hoffman

Publisher: Omega Press

Distributor: Smashwords

Photos: All images used under license from Shutterstock.com

Social media connections:

Laura Town

Twitter: @laurawtown

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauratown

Karen Hoffman

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/pub/karen-kassel/62/2b/915/

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the authors.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Medical Definitions and Risk Factors

DEMENTIA

Checklist: Characteristics of dementia

CLASSIC ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Risk Factors

Checklist: Risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease

Prevention

Checklist: Slowing Alzheimer’s disease progression

Warning Signs

Checklist: Warning signs

Chapter 2: Choosing a Doctor

Checklist: Questions to consider when choosing a doctor

Checklist: Doctors who treat Alzheimer’s disease

DIAGNOSING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Checklist: Questions to ask the doctor

Checklist: Diagnostic tests

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Checklist: Different forms of dementia

Chapter 3: Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease

STAGE 1: MILD

Checklist: Symptoms in stage 1

Checklist: Differentiating between normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease

Checklist: Prognosis at stage 1

STAGE 2: MODERATE

Checklist: Symptoms of stage 2

Checklist: Prognosis at stage 2

STAGE 3: SEVERE

Checklist: Symptoms at stage 3

Checklist: Complications associated with end-stage Alzheimer’s disease

Chapter 4: Early-onset Alzheimer’s

Checklist: Coping with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease

Chapter 5: Treatment

PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS

Checklist: Facts about cholinesterase inhibitors

Checklist: Facts about NMDA antagonists

Checklist: Drugs used to treat behavioral problems

Checklist: Considerations for drug treatment

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS

Checklist: Effectiveness of alternative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease

CLINICAL TRIALS

Checklist: Participation in a clinical trial

Chapter 6: Emerging Developments in Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Treatment

RECENT RESEARCH ABOUT LIFESTYLE

Checklist: Observational study factors contributing to Alzheimer’s disease

Checklist: Bredesen protocol key elements

Checklist: Cleveland Clinic pillars of brain health

Diet

Checklist: Dietary approach to Alzheimer’s disease prevention

Ketones

Checklist: Side effects of ketogenic diet

Checklist: Adverse effects

Coffee

Exercise

Checklist: Physical and mental exercise for cognitive benefit

NEW METHODS OF DETECTING ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Checklist: Emerging diagnostic methods for earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease

NEW MEDICAL TREATMENTS

Treatment of Misfolded Tau Proteins

Focused Ultrasound

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Checklist: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy facts

CMS121 and J147

Aducanumab

Donanemab

Repurposed Drugs

Checklist: Drugs repurposed for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease

Conclusion

About the Authors

LAURA TOWN

KAREN HOFFMAN

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORS

MORE TITLES FROM LAURA TOWN AND KAREN HOFFMAN

Resources

Reference List

Omega Press Sample: Coping with Dementia

Introduction

Nearly 50 million individuals worldwide have Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia, and approximately 5.8 million Americans are being treated for Alzheimer’s disease. These estimates are expected to nearly triple by 2050 if no means of curing or preventing Alzheimer’s disease is discovered. Alzheimer’s disease primarily affects individuals age 65 and older, with more than 96 percent of reported U.S. cases occurring in this population. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease increases with age, as individuals over the age of 85 have roughly a 33 percent chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease; however, symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease are not simply a normal part of the aging process. Because age is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, more cases of Alzheimer’s disease will emerge as individuals begin to live longer.

Alzheimer’s disease was first discovered in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer, who encountered a woman with an odd mental illness. Her symptoms included memory loss, odd behaviors, and difficulties with language. After the woman’s death, Dr. Alzheimer examined her brain and found abnormal changes, including what are now called plaques and tangles. The disease was named after the doctor who first noted its characteristics, and it has increased in prevalence ever since. In 2021, Alzheimer’s disease was officially the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

Chapter 1: Medical Definitions and Risk Factors

Alzheimer’s disease causes the deterioration and death of nerve cells—called neurons—in the brain. A neuron’s basic role is to transmit information, both to other neurons and to other parts of the body. Neurons accomplish this task by producing chemical and electrical signals that carry bursts of information from one place to another. Together, neurons form the nervous system, which is fundamental to an individual’s ability to translate thoughts into words and actions. When neurons die, the communication between neurons and the body break down. For individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, this neuronal death causes personality changes and a decline in their ability to remember and think coherently.

The death of neurons in different parts of the brain affects different areas of functioning. In Alzheimer’s disease, the destruction of neurons in the hippocampus, located in the middle of the base of the brain, causes failures in short-term memory, whereas neuron death in the cerebral cortex, which is the largest part of