This book describes the latest advances in our psychological understanding of Alzheimer's disease, bringing together the main experts in this field to describe recent developments. It will be valuable for people working in related disciplines, such as neurology, psychiatry and neuroscience researchers, as well as providing an introduction to the field for psychologists.

What are the boundary zones between normal aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD)? Are many elderly people whom we regard as normal actually in the early stages of AD? Alzheimer's disease does not develop overnight; the early phases may last for years or even decades. Recently, clinical investigators have identified a transitional condition between normal aging and and very early Alzheimer's disease that they have called mild cognitive impairment, or MCI. This term typically refers to memory impairment beyond what one would expect in individuals of a given age whose other abilities to function in daily life are well preserved. Persons who meet the criteria for mild cognitive impairment have an increased risk of progressing to Alzheimer's disease in the near future. Though many questions about this condition and its underlying neuropathology remain open, full clinical trials are currently underway worldwide aimed at preventing the progression from MCI to Alzheimer's disease. This book addresses the spectrum of issues involved in mild cognitive impairment, and includes chapters on clinical studies, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, neuropathology, biological markers, diagnostic approaches, and treatment. It is intended for clinicians, researchers, and students interested in aging and cognition, among them neurologists, psychiatrists, geriatricians, clinical psychologists, and neuropsychologists.

This work focuses on the different patterns of cognitive decline that characterize dementias of various etiologies. The effects of various dementing disorders on different domains of neuropsychological functioning are reviewed, such as attention, memory, intelligence, problem-solving, language skills, visual-spatial functioning, sensory-perceptual abilities, and motor skills. Leading researchers in the field of clinical neuropsychology discuss the unique neuropsychological features of specific dementias and how this information in the context of other clinical data about the patient can aid in making a differential diagnosis. Management issues pertaining to each dementing disorder are also discussed in each chapter. Among the dementing conditions covered are Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementias, dementia associated with alcoholism, tumors, AIDS, and toxicometabolic disorders. Chapters are also devoted to cognitive functioning in normal aging and depression. Up-to-date information concerning neuroimaging, psychopharmacological approaches to treatment, and legal issues in dementia is included in this comprehensive volume.

Alzheimer disease (AD) has become the most common form of dementia in industrialized countries and represents an increasing burden at the economic, social and medical level. In discussing both the biological aspects of AD as well as the cognitive functions involved, Alzheimer Disease - Neuropsychology and Pharmacology presents a comprehensive picture of the pathology and approaches to diagnosis and treatment. Basic research including animal models, molecular and genetic aspects is also taken into consideration. In part I, the biological correlates of AD are discussed. In part II the neuropsychological aspects such as cognitive impairment, loss of functional autonomy and emergence of neuropsychiatric disturbances of AD are outlined. In part III, strategies for effective treatment and prevention of AD are discussed. This book will be a useful source of information for clinicians as well as researchers in the area of neuropharmacology.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating and dehumanizing illness affecting increasingly large numbers of elderly and even middle-aged persons in a worldwide epidemic. Alzheimer’s Disease: A Physician’s Guide to Practical Management was written by selected clinicians and scientists who represent some of the world’s leading centers of excellence in AD research. The editors are proud and grateful for their profound contributions. This book is particularly designed to assist physicians and other health-care professionals in the evaluation, assessment, and treatment of individuals with AD. At the same time, by illuminating the basic scientific background, we hope to provide state-of-the art information about the disease and possible future therapeutic strategies. The recent psychiatric treatment aspects of AD are also clearly presented. Because the early diagnosis of the dementia process is now considered of increasing importance, we focus particularly in several chapters on early changes and preclinical conditions, such as mild cognitive impairment and predementia AD.

Déjà vu is one of the most complex and subjective of all memory phenomena. It is an infrequent and striking mental experience, where the feeling of familiarity is combined with the knowledge that this feeling is false. While until recently it was an aspect of memory largely overlooked by mainstream cognitive psychology, this book brings together the growing scientific literature on déjà vu, making the case for it as a metacognitive phenomenon. The Cognitive Neuropsychology of Déjà Vu reviews clinical, experimental and neuroimaging methods, focusing on how memory disorders and neurological dysfunction relate to the experience. Examining déjà vu as a memory phenomenon, Chris Moulin explores how the experience of déjà vu in special populations, such as healthy aging or those with schizophrenia, provides new insights into understanding this phenomenon. He considers the extensive data on déjà vu in people with epilepsy, dementia and other neurological conditions, assessing neuropsychological theories of déjà vu formation. Essential reading for all students and researchers interested in memory disorders, this valuable book presents the case for déjà vu as a ‘healthy’ phenomenon only experienced by people with sufficient cognitive resources to oppose and detect the false feeling of familiarity.

This volume covers the dramatic developments that have occurred in basic neuroscience and clinical research in cognitive neurology and dementia. It is based on the clinical approach to the patient, and provides essential knowledge that is fundamental to clinical practice.