Defying Dementia

'How do we induce people to address a potential problem on the distant horizon when they currently feel well?' asks Dr. Robert Levine in his book Defying Dementia. Dr. Levine argues that readers must understand dementia and related disorders and then take action to prevent them before they occur. With this approach in mind, Dr. Levine has divided Defying Dementia into two sections: one that explains what dementia is; the other that focuses on the types of preventative actions that readers can take to avoid it. Throughout, the book is filled with short vignettes that illustrate how others can recognize the early signs of this devastating disorder. * Solutions * This guide to understanding and preventing dementia is aimed at general readers, caregivers, health professionals, and family members of impaired patients. Levine provides an overview of types, causes, symptoms, and diagnosis; discusses normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, and pseudo-dementia; and examines Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease, Parkinson's disease with dementia, Dementia with Lewy bodies, and vascular and mixed dementia. Preventative measures, such as exercise, cognitive stimulation and socialization, and diet, are preceded by a discussion of causes of accelerated brain aging and other factors. * Scitech Book News * Dementia, in its many forms, exerts a huge emotional, physical, and economic toll on victims, their families, and the social and health care delivery system. Gerontologists predict that by 2050, the number of people with these diseases will double. In this book, neurologist Levine provides an overview of the state of knowledge regarding Alzheimer's and related dementias. Written in a sophisticated but accessible style, the book is divided into two sections. The first explains the anatomy and physiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of the full spectrum of dementias. The second section, titled "Lowering the Risk", features four chapters offering evidence-based lifestyle changes and interventions that could potentially decrease the risk of developing dementia and/or maximize cognitive functioning. Levine's intended audience is the intelligent layperson, but the book would be equally appropriate for selected health professionals or social service students seeking general coverage of the topic. . . . This succinct, credible resource on these devastating diseases sums up the present-day state of affairs and hints at the future. * CHOICE * Defying Dementia presents a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the field of dementing diseases. This scholarly written textbook depicts the entire breadth and depth of this uniquely complex subject with unusual clarity and ease. -- Martin J. Sadowski, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine Defying Dementia is an informative book that might be useful to clinicians familiar with the disease and who would like to know more. A good deal of dementia-related research is summarized in a succinct and readable way given a background in neurology-related fields. * Metapsychology Online *

Robert Levine, M.D., is former chief of neurology at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut and retired clinical professor at Yale University. He has authored two other books, Aging With Attitude and Shock Therapy For The American Health Care System.