Alzheimer's and other Dementias The Facts Series

With more people in the world living into older age, Alzheimer's and other Dementias: The Facts takes a comprehensive look at the spread of dementia, and provides authoritative information and practical advice for sufferers, their families, and the medical professionals who care for them. Written by a consultant in old age psychiatry, the book provides an overview of all the different types of dementia (including younger-onset dementias), from the most-recognized - Alzheimer's - to the less-frequent types, such as those caused by inherited metabolic disorders or HIV. The book guides the reader step-by-step through how the brain works, and explains in clear and simple language the effect of dementias on the brain, and the impact on an individual's cognitive function. A dedicated chapter explains how a diagnosis is reached, including the different modes of assessment, from blood tests carried out by a GP, to specialist scans, highlighting how the brain actually works. Detailed sections cover the latest treatments available, including the controversial use of antipsychotic medication, and the possibility of disease-modifying treatments in the future. The book also explains how the multi-disciplinary team works together to look after the sufferer's social needs, such as bathing and washing, as well as their spiritual and palliative needs. Alzheimer's and other Dementias: The Facts provides all the relevant information and guidance for sufferers, family and their care-givers to choose the right intervention at the right time, to create - as the book advocates - a unique and personalized management plan.

1. Setting the scene. 2. How the brain works. 3. Defining dementia. 4. Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. 5. Vascular dementia. 6. Dementia with Lewy bodies. 7. Frontotemporal dementias. 8. Other dementias. 9. Assessment. 10. Social approaches to living with dementia. 11. Psychological approaches to management of dementia and depression. 12. Drug treatments. 13. Spiritual, palliative, and supportive care. 14. Challenges in caring. 15. Facts and values. Glossary. Appendix 1: Useful web addresses. Appendix 2: Useful references.

Julian Hughes previously chaired the Philosophy Special Interest Group of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and serves on the College's Special Committee for Professional Practice and Ethics. Julian read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford prior to studying Medicine at Bristol. He then served in the Royal Air Force, but completed his higher training in psychiatry in Oxford and, at the same time, undertook a PhD in Philosophy at Warwick University. He was a member of the Dementia Working Party of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, which reported in 2009. He was previously a special advisor on ethics and palliative care to the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), which produced its guidelines on dementia in 2007.