Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery

Over the past few decades, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has emerged from obscurity. Once considered a rare disorder, it is now seen as a major public health problem that has a severe impact on millions of older Americans and their families. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is the lead agency for AD research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIA launched its AD program in 1978, and since then, the study of this disease has become one of NIA’s top priorities. Several other NIH institutes also conduct and sponsor studies on AD.

Thanks to the work of NIH institutes, other research organizations around the world, and many private-sector research, education, and advocacy groups, the study of AD is moving ahead rapidly. This book explains what AD is, describes the main areas in which researchers are working, and highlights new approaches for helping families and friends care for people with AD.

TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS BOOK

Learn the Basics of the Healthy Brain

• The parts of the brain
• How neurons work
• The changing brain in healthy aging

Discover What Happens to the Brain in AD

• The hallmarks of AD
• The changing brain in AD

Explore Cutting-Edge AD Research

• Looking for causes
• Diagnosing AD
• Searching for treatments

Learn about Caregiver Support

• Who are AD caregivers?
• Reducing the personal costs of caregiving
• Taking care of mom or dad from a distance

TO LEARN EVEN MORE

Visit NIA's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral Center website at www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers. There, you will find resources to accompany this book, such as downloadable versions of the illustrations and an animation that shows what happens to the changing brain in AD. And while you are there, explore the ADEAR Center’s many other offerings. These include free publications about AD and AD caregiving, clinical trials information, a list of NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Centers, and NIA’s searchable AD Library database of thousands of materials about AD.

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