Understanding Brain Aging and Dementia

The life course method compares an individual's long-life and late-life behaviors to gauge one's mental decay. Arguing the life course approach is the best and simplest model for tracking mental development, Lawrence J. Whalley unlocks the mysteries of brain functionality, illuminating the processes that affect the brain during aging, the causes behind these changes, and effective coping strategies. Whalley identifies the genetic factors that determine the pace of aging and the behaviors, starting in childhood, that influence how we age. Through vignettes, charts, and tables, he composes an accessible book for patients, family members, and caretakers struggling to make sense of a complex experience.

“Whalley has a truly enormous breadth of knowledge--no other book for a general audience interweaves such a broad range of topics around the common theme of brain aging. This is an original contribution, with thoughtful and interesting tidbits throughout.a”

Whalley has a truly enormous breadth of knowledge-no other book for a general audience interweaves such a broad range of topics around the common theme of brain aging. This is an original contribution, with thoughtful and interesting tidbits throughout. -- David A. Bennett, director, Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center No other book covers these subjects so comprehensively. Understanding Brain Aging and Dementia makes a definite contribution to the fields of neurobiology and geriatrics and really ties the two together. This book is very thorough-a useful resource for anyone interested in aging and the risks of dementia. -- Carole B. Cox, Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service For millennia, scholars have disagreed about the physical and psychological changes that often accompany aging: Are they inevitable or avoidable? Whalley takes a wide-ranging and inclusive approach to this question and provides answers that bridge sociology, biology, and psychology. -- Peter V. Rabins, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, author of The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease, Related Dementias, and Memory Loss In this towering, comprehensive, and beautifully written book, Whalley weaves together many intimately linked threads regarding the human brain across the life course: risk and resilience; disease and symptoms; the gene and the environment; nature's evolution and mankind's intervention. All of these are placed within the context of the achievable aim of 'prevention.' Framed in this way, one feels progress in dementia research is secured. -- Craig W. Ritchie, University of Edinburgh Lawrence Whalley's new book, Understanding Brain Aging and Dementia, is a real tour de force. With style and clarity, combining wide breadth of coverage with great depth, he takes the reader on an exciting journey in this fascinating field, not only to the cutting edge of where we are now, but to where we might be in 2050. -- John O'Brien, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine [Understanding Brain Aging and Dementia] offers a clear and readable social-political-economic backdrop to dementia research... Recommended. Choice Ambitious... Understanding Brain Aging and Dementia will be a welcomed addition to personal libraries. Overall it is an enjoyable read... Recommended without reservation to students professionals, and general readers. PsycCritiques an excellent read International Journal of Epidemiology

Lawrence J. Whalley is emeritus professor of mental health in the College of Medicine and Life Sciences at the University of Aberdeen and honorary professor of research at the University of the Highlands and Islands. He is the author of three books on brain aging and dementia, including The Aging Brain and Dementia.

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