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Preface | |
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Acknowledgments | |
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Special Acknowledgment | |
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The Caregiver Experience | |
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What Is Alzheimer's Disease? | |
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A Case History | |
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Early Detection and Treatment | |
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Causes of Disease--Multiple Factors | |
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The Statistics | |
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Symptoms and Phases of Alzheimer's Disease | |
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Symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease | |
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Phases of Alzheimer's Disease | |
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Early Confusional Phase | |
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Late Confusional Phase | |
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Early Dementia | |
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Middle Dementia | |
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Late Dementia | |
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Depression and the Person with Alzheimer's Disease | |
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Risk Factors for Depression | |
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Signs and Symptoms of Depression | |
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Depressive Symptoms and Disorders | |
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Causes of Depression with Alzheimer's Disease | |
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Treatment for Depression | |
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Grief and Coping | |
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Possible Causes of Alzheimer's Disease | |
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What Does Not Cause Alzheimer's | |
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The Genetic Theory | |
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The Viral Theory | |
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The Immune System Theory | |
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The Aluminum Theory | |
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Psychosocial Factors and Dementia | |
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Six Common Myths About Alzheimer's | |
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Alzheimer's Symptoms Are a Normal Sign of Old Age | |
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Senility Is the Usual Cause of Problems in Old Age | |
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Nothing Can Be Done for the Person with Alzheimer's | |
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Alzheimer's Is Strictly a Mental Illness | |
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Only the Family Should Care for the Person with Alzheimer's | |
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All Relatives of People with Alzheimer's Are Likely to Inherit the Disease | |
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Coping: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Caregiver's Experience | |
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A Hypothetical Case History | |
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Noticing Initial Symptoms | |
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Confirming Suspicions | |
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Seeking Information | |
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Taking Action | |
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Weighing Findings | |
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Identifying Resources | |
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Planning Care | |
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Managing Caregiver Stress | |
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From Family Care to Alzheimer's Care: Preparing for Caregiving | |
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Differences in Alzheimer's Caregiving and Traditional Family Care | |
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Coping with Problems Common to Chronic Disease | |
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Motivations for Helping | |
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Understanding Behavioral Changes | |
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Early Threats to Who We Are | |
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The Impact of Losses on Relating | |
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Attempts to Understand Behavior | |
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Revising Your Expectations | |
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Questioning Old Beliefs About Behavior | |
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Emotions and Alzheimer's Behavior | |
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Emotional and Behavioral Communication | |
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Behavior and Stress | |
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Catastrophic Reactions | |
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Excess Disability | |
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Summary | |
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Stages of Family Adjustment | |
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Accepting the Disease | |
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Denial | |
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Overinvolvement | |
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Anger | |
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Guilt | |
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Acceptance | |
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Family Responses to Care | |
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Need for Family Support | |
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Compatible vs. Conflictual Families | |
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New Views of Parent | |
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Cohesive vs. Fragmented Families | |
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Productive vs. Nonproductive Families | |
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Fragile vs. Stable Families | |
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Family Roles and Rules | |
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Family Roles During Crisis | |
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Caregivers and Caregiving | |
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Values, Beliefs, and the Caregiver Experience | |
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Expectations Influence Our Feelings and Reactions | |
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How to Respond Positively to Alzheimer's Behaviors | |
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Depression and the Alzheimer's Caregiver | |
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How Common Is Caregiver Depression? | |
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Reasons We Fail to Recognize Depression | |
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Depressive Disorders | |
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Generalized Anxiety Disorder | |
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Risk Factors for Caregiver Depression | |
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Coping with Ongoing Caregiver Stress | |
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Learning to Analyze and Manage Change | |
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Stressors, Stress, and Coping | |
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Responding to Thoughts and Stressors | |
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Stress and Self-Talk | |
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Irrational Beliefs Cause Stress | |
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Coping Model | |
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Different Types of Stress | |
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Manifestations of Stress | |
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Coping Examples | |
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Coping Approaches for Different Stressors | |
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Twelve Steps for Caregivers | |
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Exploring Community Resources | |
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Drawing upon Community Resources Reduces Strain on the Caregiver | |
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Community Resources for Alzheimer's Care | |
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Considerations for Nursing Home Care | |
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Final Resource Considerations | |
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Research and Treatment | |
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Abnormal Changes in the Brain | |
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Physical Changes in the Brain | |
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Anatomy of the Brain | |
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Neurofibrillary Tangles | |
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Senile or Neuritic Plaques | |
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Granulovacuolar Degeneration | |
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Hirano Bodies | |
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Congophilic Angiopathy | |
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Chemical Changes in the Brain | |
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More About Brain Anatomy | |
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The Cholinergic System | |
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The Serotonergic System | |
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The Noradrenergic System | |
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Somatostatin | |
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The Glutaminergic System | |
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Treating Neurotransmitter Deficiencies | |
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Summary | |
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Treatment Possibilities | |
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Role of Drugs in Alzheimer's Treatment | |
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Should You Participate in Drug Research Study? | |
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Inconsistencies in Drug Studies | |
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Cholinergic Agents | |
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Available Cholinesterase Inhibitors | |
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Cholinergic Receptor Agonists | |
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Naloxone and Naltrexone | |
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Vasodilators and Nootropic Agents | |
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Neuropeptides | |
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Psychostimulants | |
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Glutaminergic Agents | |
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Combination Drug Studies | |
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Estrogen, Anti-Inflammatory Agents, and Antioxidants | |
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Statins | |
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Neuronal Transplants | |
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Psychiatric Medications and Dementia | |
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Side Effects | |
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Major Tranquilizers (Neuroleptics or Antipsychotics) | |
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Minor Tranquilizers | |
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Antidepressants | |
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Summary | |
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An Afterword | |
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Worksheets | |
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Self-Help Groups and Organizations That Can Help | |
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Internet and World Wide Web Resources | |
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Bibliography | |
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Index | |