Alzheimer Disease: Neuropsychology and Pharmacology
http://www.100md.com
《新英格兰医药杂志》
Less than 20 years ago, Alzheimer's disease was described in epidemiologic studies as "the silent epidemic." Some 10 years later, the first risk factors and genetic mutations were reported, and today the epidemic is no longer silent. Despite its subtitle of Neuropsychology and Pharmacology, this book has a broad scope, with excellent chapters on the causes of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Its 15 chapters are organized into three sections, which deal with the biologic correlates of Alzheimer's disease, neuropsychology, and treatment. The section on biologic correlates reviews the causes, pharmacology, and molecular genetics of Alzheimer's disease, along with the various animal models that have been used in studies of the disease. The section on neuropsychology, the longest in the book, is a good introduction to memory and its assessment; the cognitive, behavioral, and psychological impairment of Alzheimer's disease; and functional and behavioral assessment. The section on treatment, which discusses in detail the various pharmacologic options, includes a short chapter on psychological support.
The book is generally up to date and well balanced, and it is reasonably uniform in style. Although the authors strike me as being a bit too optimistic about the possibilities of treatment, I certainly prefer their tack to the generally nihilistic attitude that has clouded discussions of this important disease in the past. The book is a tribute to the tremendous effort that has been made in the past decade in the search for the causes and treatment of this enigmatic disease.
Albert Hofman, M.D., Ph.D.
Erasmus Medical Center
3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
a.hofman@erasmusmc.nl(Gérard Emilien, Cécile Du)
The book is generally up to date and well balanced, and it is reasonably uniform in style. Although the authors strike me as being a bit too optimistic about the possibilities of treatment, I certainly prefer their tack to the generally nihilistic attitude that has clouded discussions of this important disease in the past. The book is a tribute to the tremendous effort that has been made in the past decade in the search for the causes and treatment of this enigmatic disease.
Albert Hofman, M.D., Ph.D.
Erasmus Medical Center
3015 GE Rotterdam, the Netherlands
a.hofman@erasmusmc.nl(Gérard Emilien, Cécile Du)