“Cogent, thorough, and convincing.”
—Booklist“If you think getting old is simply about losing neurons, read this book. Many things change and the good news is that by realizing the complexities of aging, there are many ways to make life pleasant and rewarding. Ken Kosik and Ellen Clegg capture this idea with brilliance and verve.”
—Michael S. Gazzaniga, PhD, director,
Sage Center for the Study of Mind at the
University of California, Santa Barbara, and
director of The Law and Neuroscience Project
“The outstanding neurologist and brain scientist, Kenneth S. Kosik, and the superb science writer, Ellen Clegg, provide a creative and farsighted discussion that confronts and analyzes the problems that face individuals, their families and the American health care system in dealing with dementia. Their penetrating analysis of the causes, preventions and treatments for this disorder are distinctive in being biologically sound, humanly compassionate, and practically farsighted for our health care system. This inspiring comprehensive new approach to the most serious medical problem of our time is a must read.”
—Eric Kandel, MD, professor at Columbia University,
Fred Kavli Professor and director, Kavli Institute for Brain Science,
and senior investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
As the Baby Boomer generation moves into the ranks of the elderly in the next decade or two, the number of Alzheimer cases expected to develop will be staggering. Since current medical care cannot offer a cure, and even significantly effective treatment is at least ten years away, there is a pressing need for novel solutions to address the multifaceted issues raised by this devastating disease.
This book offers a measure of hope and coping strategies for people facing Alzheimer’s now or in the future. Authors Kenneth S. Kosik, MD, a neurologist and a leading Alzheimer’s researcher, and experienced healthcare journalist Ellen Clegg propose the creation of community centers devoted to Alzheimer’s. Here patients and their families could access programs of care, treatment, and most importantly, prevention, outside of the traditional medical setting.
They outline a bold vision of one-stop centers that would provide expertise and reliable information on a range of topics: pharmaceutical developments, dietary regimens, physical and cognitive exercise programs that may help to slow the disease process, and palliative measures to reduce suffering. Most important, the centers they describe would take a family-oriented, personalized approach to care and prevention, creating an atmosphere conducive to adult learning and facilitating personal growth in areas that patients have enjoyed over a lifetime, including the arts, dance, socializing, and a host of other possibilities.
The authors explain why the current healthcare system is poorly equipped to deal with Alzheimer patients, why the standard medical model is inappropriate for cognitive disorders, how market economics stymies physician creativity, and how new initiatives that work outside the existing system could go a long way toward providing the help that is lacking today.
For people prepared to take action now to prevent Alzheimer’s, as well as healthcare professionals seeking ways to help their patients, this book is a must read.
Binding:
Paperback280 pages
ISBN: 978-1-61614-208-7
Shipping Weight: 1lbs
Author Bio:
Kenneth S. Kosik, MD (Santa Barbara, CA), is the Harriman Chair in Neurosciences, codirector of the Neuroscience Research Institute, and professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Previously, Dr. Kosik was professor of neurology and neuroscience at Harvard Medical School.
Ellen Clegg(Boston, MA) is the author of ChemoBrain: How Cancer Therapies Can Affect Your Mind. She is Managing Editor for Communications Platforms at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, a genetic research center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Previously, she was Deputy Managing Editor/News Operations of the Boston Globe. Her prior positions at the Globe include Sunday editor and health and science editor.
