NEUROPATHOLOGY OF DEMENTING DISORDERS.

Abstract

By William R Markesbery 1998. Pp. 404. London: Edward Arnold (Publishers) Limited. Price £125. ISBN 0-340-59037-8. Recent years have witnessed a flourishing in the publication of neuropathology textbooks. Not only general volumes covering neuropathology as a whole, but also books on single subjects have appeared in the specialized bookshops. That there are several books on brain tumours is hardly surprising, but the publication of a second textbook on the neuropathology of dementias within one year must reflect increased interest in a previously rather neglected field. Dementia has become a focus of interest, both scientifically and socially; it has an immense impact on health care and health policy. With an increasing ageing population, the incidence of dementia has dramatically increased to reach epidemic proportions. Approximately 15% of those aged 65 have dementia of varying severity and currently there are 20 million sufferers of dementia in the world, indicating the magnitude of the problem. Scientific developments ranging from the bedside to the laboratory bench have also increased our interest in dementias. The sophistication of clinical investigative techniques, the more precise definition of nosological entities, the improvement of neuropathological investigations and the discoveries in both molecular biology and genetics have made research on dementias one of the most exciting and challenging areas of biomedical research. For these reasons it is not surprising that this increased interest is reflected by new publications. This recent monograph has been edited by William Markesbery and his team covers the field remarkably well. The majority of the authors, about two-thirds of the 33, are from the United States, but the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Sweden are also represented. There are 18 chapters covering various aspects of dementia, of which the first three are introductory. In the first chapter Markesbery overviews dementing disorders, while in the second, Jagust …