Includes bibliographical references (pages 263-276) and index.
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: -- Introduction -- 1. Facing, or Fearing, Aging -- 2. "I have, so to say, lost myself" -- 3. Has Alzheimer's Always Been with Us? -- 4. The Case of Jonathan Swift -- 5. The Biology of Aging -- 6. A Natural Life -- 7. The Aging Brain -- 8. Plaques and Tangles -- 9. "I only retire at night" -- 10. A Deadly Progression -- 11. The Brain Fights Back -- 12. Is the Epidemic Slowing? -- 13. Am I going to get it? And if so, when? -- 14. Treatment: Candidates But No Champions -- 15. Men, Women and Alzheimer's -- 16. Was It Really the Aluminum? -- 17. The Many Faces of Dementia -- 18. Where You Live, What You Eat -- 19. What's Next? -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- Index.
Summary:
"It is a wicked disease that robs its victims of their memories, their ability to think clearly, and ultimately their lives. For centuries, those afflicted by Alzheimer's disease have suffered its debilitating effects while family members sit by, watching their loved ones disappear a little more each day until the person they used to know is gone forever. The disease was first described by German psychologist and neurologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906. One hundred years and a great deal of scientific effortlater, much more is known about Alzheimer's, but it still affects millions around the world, and there is no cure in sight. In The End of Memory, award-winning science author Jay Ingram writes a biography of this disease that attacks the brains of patients. He charts the history of the disease from before it was noted by Alois Alzheimer through to the twenty-first century, explains the fascinating science of plaques and tangles, recounts the efforts to understand and combat the disease, and introduces usto the passionate researchers who are working to find a cure. An illuminating biography of "the plague of the twenty-first century" and scientists' efforts to understand and, they hope, prevent it, The End of Memory is a book for those who want to find out the true story behind an affliction that courses through families and wreaks havoc on the lives of millions"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.