Alzheimer's disease: a broad overview

Abstract

The Atlas of Alzheimer's Disease consists of eight chapters with clear information on several aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The book aims to provide medical professionals, other health-care providers, families, and patients with up-to-date information, presented in an accessible format with an emphasis on the visual. The chapters are littered with tables and illustrations to help readers understand the scientific information, hence the title Atlas. The illustrations are not all of the best quality, but they do make the topic accessible.The scope of the Atlas of Alzheimer's disease is broad, touching briefly on many subjects, hypotheses, and theories. The first chapter puts dementia and AD into a historical framework, with references to age-related cognitive impairment in ancient Greece, dementia in the Middle Ages, and the first description of AD by Alois Alzheimer. Current aspects of the disease are then discussed: epidemiology and diagnosis of AD and dementia are summarised in chapters 2 and 3; chapters 4 and 5 provide insight into the causes of AD and discuss pathophysiology and neuropathology; and chapters 6 and 7 give an overview of current strategies for prevention and treatment. Finally, chapter 8 gives a glimpse of a future in which AD might be curable.The authors state: “This Atlas of Alzheimer's Disease ends on a mixed note of excitement and apprehension. The excitement stems from the pace of research progress in AD and the potential for new and more definitive therapies. The apprehension grows from the aging world population with AD and the needs that this will create in all dimensions at a societal level” (page 134). We cannot but agree (with the authors) that only an integrated international effort can ensure a better future for patients with AD, as we await progress in research to both prevent and treat the disorder.This book could be a starting point for readers who wish to dive deeper into specific areas of AD. We recommend it to all clinicians—and clinicians in training—who are involved in the diagnosis and care of patients with AD, because it will increase their insight into this already widespread disorder. The Atlas of Alzheimer's Disease consists of eight chapters with clear information on several aspects of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The book aims to provide medical professionals, other health-care providers, families, and patients with up-to-date information, presented in an accessible format with an emphasis on the visual. The chapters are littered with tables and illustrations to help readers understand the scientific information, hence the title Atlas. The illustrations are not all of the best quality, but they do make the topic accessible. The scope of the Atlas of Alzheimer's disease is broad, touching briefly on many subjects, hypotheses, and theories. The first chapter puts dementia and AD into a historical framework, with references to age-related cognitive impairment in ancient Greece, dementia in the Middle Ages, and the first description of AD by Alois Alzheimer. Current aspects of the disease are then discussed: epidemiology and diagnosis of AD and dementia are summarised in chapters 2 and 3; chapters 4 and 5 provide insight into the causes of AD and discuss pathophysiology and neuropathology; and chapters 6 and 7 give an overview of current strategies for prevention and treatment. Finally, chapter 8 gives a glimpse of a future in which AD might be curable. The authors state: “This Atlas of Alzheimer's Disease ends on a mixed note of excitement and apprehension. The excitement stems from the pace of research progress in AD and the potential for new and more definitive therapies. The apprehension grows from the aging world population with AD and the needs that this will create in all dimensions at a societal level” (page 134). We cannot but agree (with the authors) that only an integrated international effort can ensure a better future for patients with AD, as we await progress in research to both prevent and treat the disorder. This book could be a starting point for readers who wish to dive deeper into specific areas of AD. We recommend it to all clinicians—and clinicians in training—who are involved in the diagnosis and care of patients with AD, because it will increase their insight into this already widespread disorder.