Alzheimers Disease: Life Course Perspectives on Risk Reduction

Alzheimer's Disease: Lifecourse Perspectives on Risk Reduction summarizes the growing body of knowledge on the distribution and causes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in human populations, providing the reader with knowledge on how we define the disease and what its risk and protective factors are in the context of a life-course approach.

At the conclusion of the book, the reader will understand why Alzheimer’s disease likely begins at conception, then progresses through early-life and adult risk factors that ultimately impact the balance between pathologic insults in the brain and the ability of the brain to modify disease symptoms. In contrast to edited volumes that may have little cohesion, this book focuses on an integrated life-course approach to the epidemiology of dementia, in particular, Alzheimer’s disease.

Reviews the current science surrounding Alzheimer’s diseaseProvides a primer of foundational knowledge on the disease's epidemiology and biostatisticsUtilizes a life-course approach, providing a novel and integrated view of the evolution of this illness from genes to brain reserveUses the ‘threshold model’—a theory first described by Dr. Mortimer and widely accepted today—which incorporates the idea of risk factors for the pathology and expression of the disease Proposes that improving brain health through modifiable behaviors can delay disease onset until a later ageExamines the future of prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, a subject of great current interest

Prologue: A Primer on Epidemiologic Concepts and Methods Section 1. Defining a Case Chapter 1. The "First" Case Chapter 2. Clinical Appearance, Progression, and Classification Chapter 3. Epidemiologic Definition of a Case Chapter 4. Neuropathology of Alzheimer's Disease Chapter 5. The Threshold Model of Dementia Section 2. Descriptive Epidemiology Chapter 6. The Prevalence of Alzheimer's Disease Chapter 7. The Incidence of Alzheimer's Disease Chapter 8. Survival and Mortality in Alzheimer's Disease Section 3. Analytic Epidemiology Chapter 9. Introduction to the Analytic Epidemiology of Azheimer's Disease Chapter 10. Family History, Genetics, and Down Syndrome  Chapter 11. Early-Life Factors Chapter 12. Traumatic Brain Injury Chapter 13. Gigarette Smoking and Alcohol Consumption Chapter 14. Vascular Disease Chapter 15. Diet Chapter 16. Physical Activity Chapter 17. Cognitive Activity Chapter 18. Social Engagement Chapter 19. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs, Hormone Replacement Therapy, and Anticholinergic Medications Section 4. Epidemiologic and Biologic Markers Chapter 20. Prodromal Markers of Disease or Causal Risk Factors? Depression, Olfaction, and Subjective Memory Complaints Chapter 21. Fluid, Imaging, and Cognitive Biomarkers

Section 5. Future Steps Chapter 22. Risk Assessment and Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease Chapter 23. Summary and Recommendations