Saturday, December 5, 2009

Saving Your Brain or Depression SourceBook

Saving Your Brain: The Revolutionary Plan to Boost Brain Power, Improve Memory, and Protect Yourself Against Aging and Alzheimer's

Author: Jeffrey Ivan Victoroff

Using the latest research, Dr. Jeff Victoroff has developed a powerful new plan that combines all the best science-based methods to protect you from brain aging and memory problems. With the help of this book, you will be able to keep your mind sharper, stronger, and healthier and to vigorously defend your brain against the physiological changes that lead to Alzheimer's. Saving Your Brain is a wake-up call telling you exactly how you can apply the wonderful findings of preventive medicine to the care of your brain.

Publishers Weekly

The author, an associate professor of clinical neurology at the Keck School of Medicine at the Univ. of Southern California, argues that it is possible to slow the rate of brain aging by making lifestyle changes. According to Victoroff, the latest studies in brain deterioration indicate that aging-related neurodegeneration of the Alzheimer's type (ARNAT) is not as distinct from normal aging as previously thought. The presence of plaques and tangles traditionally associated with ARNAT have been found in the brains of elderly people who were functioning well until their death. Victoroff details here his "relativity theory" of brain deterioration, positing that environmental as well as genetic factors are responsible for memory loss and dementia, which are, hence, partially preventable. Of greater interest than the author's complex recounting of scientific research are his suggestions for maximizing mental fitness. Based on many reputable studies, his recommendations for brain fitness include following a healthy diet, exercising, staying mentally active, avoiding neurotoxicants (such as aluminum), reducing stress and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol. In this encouraging and informative volume, Victoroff also advocates forming a relationship with an informed physician who can support positive behavior changes. (July) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Aging baby boomers are becoming acutely aware of their own memory lapses. Is each case incipient Alzheimer's or just a benign "senior moment"? The increase in age-related memory impairment has produced a host of new books on preventing (or slowing) memory loss based on the latest scientific knowledge of brain and memory. In Saving Your Brain, Victoroff, director of the neurobehavioral program at Ranchos Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, challenges the theory that Alzheimer's and similar memory disorders are abnormal responses to aging. Instead, he proposes that age-related memory loss may actually be a natural part of aging. Drawing on his clinical experiences and reviews of some 14,000 research studies, his fascinating treatise explores the evolution and function of the human brain and the many things that can damage the delicate balances that enable us to think and function. The author suggests numerous changes that can prevent memory loss and improve brain function: avoiding even minor head injuries and exposure to chemicals (including pesticides and aluminum in drinking water), increasing physical activity, eating a low-fat diet, and keeping mentally sharp with lifelong learning and other mentally challenging activities while avoiding the mind-numbing effects of television. In The Memory Bible, neuroscientist Small, director of UCLA's Memory Clinic and Center on Aging and the author of Parentcare, has compiled an amusing and informative array of self-tests, puzzles, quizzes, and other techniques to enhance memory performance. He also draws upon current scientific advancements in memory and recommends brain-saving lifestyle changes similar to Victoroff's. Small's approach is entertaining yet practical, and the numerous case histories are appealing, but some of his memory-enhancing techniques (like the "peg method" for remembering numerical sequences) seem too cumbersome to be useful. Both titles deserve a place in aging and self-help collections along with Guy McKann and Marilyn Albert's Keep Your Brain Young, which explores the relationship between brain health and physical well-being in later years. Karen McNally Bensing, Benjamin Rose Lib., Cleveland Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.



Table of Contents:
Prefacexi
Part IWhat's Happening to Us?
Introduction: Why Brains Change3
1.Adam's and Eve's Brains12
2.What and Where Is Memory?24
3.The Brain's Voyage of Life31
4.What Is "Alzheimer's," and Are You Getting It?46
Part IIWhat Can We Do About It?
Introduction: Twain's Maxim and Pascal's Bet63
5.Is Stress Destroying Your Brain?74
6.Is Your Job Eating Your Brain?97
7.Can Sex Hormones Keep You Smart?120
8.Can Non-sex Hormones Keep You Smart?141
9.Dodging Aluminum May Save Your Brain163
10.Saving Your Brain's Blood Flow174
11.Food for Thought: The Brain-Saving Diet200
12.Good News: Antioxidants Save Your Brain238
13.Botanicals for the Brain: The Growing Promise of Natural Neuroprotection259
14.Smart Drugs: Utopian Dream or Fast-Approaching Reality?280
15.More Good News: Anti-inflammatories Help Save Your Brain298
16.Saving Your Brain by Saving Your Skull315
17.Brain Fitness I: Using Your Body to Build Your Brain343
18.Brain Fitness II: Using Your Mind to Build Your Brain364
Conclusion: What the Future Holds for the Human Brain385
Selected References399
Index435

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Depression Sourcebook

Author: Sandra J Judd

According to the American Psychiatric Association, depression afflicts nearly one in ten adults each year. Women appear to be about twice as susceptible as men. Depression can strike at any age, although it most commonly first appears between the late teen years and the mid-twenties. Its effects can be severe, resulting in impairment in daily living and increased complications in patients with other medical disorders. Depression can also be a contributing factor in suicide. Depression is treatable, however; and the vast majority of people with depression can experience relief from their symptoms.

Depression Sourcebook, Second Edition provides updated information about the most common forms of depression, including unipolar depression, dysthymia, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, and other mood disorders. It explains which populations are at greatest risk and offers details about diagnostic procedures, treatment options, and coping strategies. Reports on current research initiatives describe advances in the understanding of how mood disorders develop and promising new treatments. A section on suicide describes warning signs and offers suggestions on how to help a suicidal person. A glossary of terms related to mood disorders, a directory of resources for additional help and information, and a list of mental health hotlines are also included.



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