Concepts of Alzheimer Disease: Biological, Clinical, and Cultural Perspectives (Gerontology)

Description

As the essays in this volume show, conceptualizing dementia has always been a complex process. With contributions from noted professionals in psychiatry, neurology, molecular biology, sociology, history, ethics, and health policy, Concepts of Alzheimer Disease looks at the ways in which Alzheimer disease has been defined in various historical and cultural contexts. The book covers every major development in the field, from the first case described by Alois Alzheimer in 1907 through groundbreaking work on the genetics of the disease. Essays examine not only the prominent role that biomedical and clinical researchers have played in defining Alzheimer disease, but also the ways in which the perspectives of patients, their caregivers, and the broader public have shaped concepts. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Contributors PART I - The Cases of Auguste D. and Johann F. Chapter 1 - Auguste D. The History of Alois Alzheimer’s First Case Chapter 2 - Johann F. The Historical Relevance of the Case for the Concept of Alzheimer Disease PART II From Alzheimer to the Present Chapter 3 - Neurofibrillary Changes Chapter 4 - Contributions of German Neuroscience to the Concept of Alzheimer Disease Chapter 5 - Beyond the Characteristic Plaques and Tangles Chapter 6 - The Rediscovery of Alzheimer Disease During the 1960s and 1970s Chapter 7 - The History of the Genetics of Alzheimer Disease PART III Alzheimer Disease as a Social and Cultural Entity Chapter 8 - Alzheimer Disease Chapter 9 - Aging, Culture, and the Framing of Alzheimer Disease Chapter 10 - Narrative Practice and the Inner Worlds of the Alzheimer Disease Experience PART IV Politics, Policy, and the Perspectives of the Caregiver and Patient Chapter 11 - The Role of the Concept of Alzheimer Disease in the Development of the Alzheimer’s Association in the United States Chapter 12 - The History of the Alzheimer’s Association Chapter 13 - The Concept of Alzheimer Disease in a Hypercognitive Society PART V Progress and Its Problems Chapter 14 - Alzheimer Disease and the New Biology Chapter 15 - The Genetics of Alzheimer Disease Chapter 16 - History and the Future of Alzheimer Disease Index