Most people think of Alzheimer’s disease as a condition which predominately affects elderly people, but an increasing amount of evidence indicates that in populations exposed to high concentration of air pollutants, Alzheimer’s disease development and progression can be identified in pediatric and young adulthood ages. Cognitive, olfactory, gait, equilibrium and auditory alterations are seen early, thus the concept of decades-long asymptomatic period prior to clinical cognitive impairment does not apply to the millions of people exposed day in and day out to polluted environments. This book Alzheimer's Disease and Air Pollution – The Development and Progression of a Fatal Disease from Childhood and the Opportunities for Early Prevention is a compilation of work by researchers intent on revealing the links between air pollution and neurodegeneration. The book is divided into 6 sections. It includes a section describing the ways in which air pollution from traffic and tobacco smoke can damage the brain; epidemiological studies establishing a strong link between dementia and particulate matter and ozone; papers explaining the properties of pollution; and works describing the intricate pathways which transform normal neurons into ghost tangles surrounded by a devastated brain. Air pollution is complex; different pollutants, different sizes and shapes and different portals of entry, play different roles, but their capacity to damage neural tissue is abundantly illustrated in this book, which highlights the need for preventive measures to protect the millions of people currently exposed to air pollutants, and the need to ameliorate their harmful effects.

Although there are several gaps in understanding the many issues related to neurological disorders, we know enough to be able to shape effective policy responses to some of the most common. This book describes and discusses the increasing public health impact of common neurological disorders such as dementia, epilepsy, headache disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuroinfections, neurological disorders associated with malnutrition, pain associated with neurological disorders, Parkinson's disease, stroke and traumatic brain injuries. It provides information and advice on public health interventions that may reduce their occurrence and consequences, and offers health professionals and planners the opportunity to assess the burden caused by these disorders. The clear message that emerges is that unless immediate action is taken globally, the neurological burden is likely to become an increasingly serious and unmanageable.

The three major approaches to diagnosis of AD -- radiological, biological, and neurophysiological -- are discussed in detail with chapters highlighting the most promising technologies within these approaches. The leading authors, all of whom are intimately involved with these emerging technologies, have developed this as an essential reference for neuropathologists, clinicians and researchers of Alzheimer's disease.

A negative effect of the ageing population is that more individuals are experiencing cognitive decline and some form of neurodegenerative disease. With the number of people experiencing dementia likely to double in the next 20 years, this change in society presents one of greatest challenges facing public health personnel in the 21st century. The aim of this volume is to describe research that is in progress, and the major findings that have been obtained in the scientific study of dementia. The chapters in the first section of the book focus upon early signs of dementia, and consider several approaches to finding early cognitive signs and biological markers of dementia. The second section considers whether dementia is inevitable for people who become very old, and features chapters on risk factors and proactive influences, cognitive reserve and intervention. Each chapter in the final section describes phenomena which are related to differences in function between memory systems, including anterograde memory in fronto-temporal dementia, and the role semantic memory and semantic cognition may play in developing an understanding of the development of the degenerative processes in dementia. With contributions from world-class researchers in this area, the volume offers a concise overview of key findings in recent research on dementia and memory. It will be of great interest to researchers and advanced students of cognitive psychology, and to those working in related fields, such as gerontology, rehabilitation sciences, and allied health.

This book focuses on the health impacts of air pollution in China, especially the epidemiology-based exposure-response functions for the mortality, morbidity, and hospital admissions for respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and mental health related to pollution. It also provides the latest estimates of the magnitude of the adverse effects of air pollution on the health of the Chinese population. By providing a better understanding of the impact of air pollution on health, it improves the scientific basis of risk assessment, and also helps governments develop policies and other health protection initiatives to reduce the impacts of air pollution. The book offers environmental scientists, engineers, researchers and students a comprehensive and organized body of information in the area of air pollution.

Type 2 Diabetes and Dementia details the relationship between diabetes, dementia and the future of medicine and therapeutics. Chapters range from epidemiology, clinical features, neuroimaging biomarkers, neuropathology, macrostructural and molecular mechanisms, risk assessment and prevention strategies, and the application of therapeutics. The book reflects the translational aspects of the current science in the field, with an emphasis on the display of neuroimaging and neuropathology. It contains contributions from world experts, and is ideal for clinicians and researchers in the fields of neurology, neuroscience, geriatric medicine and endocrinology. - Presents a comprehensive overview that details the relationship between diabetes, dementia and the future of medicine and therapeutics - Written for researchers and clinicians in neurology, neuroscience, geriatric medicine and endocrinology - Includes topics ranging from epidemiology, clinical features, neuroimaging biomarkers, neuropathology, macrostructural and molecular mechanisms, risk assessment, prevention strategies and therapeutic applications

Nephrology is one of the fastest growing specialties in medicine. Nevertheless, kidney disease is one of the most serious unmet health needs in many countries. To provide healthcare access with the desirable equity worldwide, the nephrology community needs to discuss this public health issue and take part in decisions for elaboration of public health policies with more justice and equity. This book brings together key current public health problems that affect kidney function and illuminates them in contributions by an international group of nephrologists and general practitioners. The chapters review current knowledge and provide guidelines to manage these conditions and decrease the disease burden. At the end, developments in the digital era and their application to kidney disease treatment are synthesized, and a broader outlook on the future of nephrology is given. Ultimately, the publication aims to gather nephrology and public health expertise from researchers from all over the world, providing a broad vision of issues that must be discussed and overcome to guarantee a better treatment for patients with kidney diseases in the world today.