Neuropsychological Tools for Dementia: Differential Diagnosis and Treatment takes a unique approach by combining the neuroscientific background of neuropsychology, neuropsychological tools for diagnosis and disease staging, and neuropsychological treatment into one comprehensive book for researchers and clinicians. Sections present an introduction to neuropsychological assessment in dementias, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia (alpha-synucleinopathies), atypical Parkinson's diseases (tauopathies), language and behavioral variants of frontotemporal lobe degeneration, and normal pressure hydrocephalus. Each chapter elucidates the point that neuropsychological measures provide the tools to differentiate disease-specific impairments from normal age-related cognitive decline, and from other neurodegenerative diseases.

Moreover, the book discusses the possibility of helping patients through neuropsychological intervention. Case studies aid in the reader's comprehension of the field, and two short guidelines for each disease's specific assessment and treatment prepare readers for handling real-life patients.

Autorentext

Dr. Helmut Hildebrandt is a clinical neuropsychologist at the Department of Neurology, Hospital Bremen-Ost. He is also affiliated with the University of Oldenburg's Department of Psychology. Dr. Hildebrandt obtained his D. Pharma from Philipps University, Marburg, Germany, and brings more than three decades of experience to the project. He specializes in the rehabilitation of memory visuospatial neglect and fatigue and has been a member of several guideline groups of the German Society for Neurorehabilitation (DGNR) and the German Neuropsychological Society (GNP). Dr. Hildebrandt has prior book editing experience from Elsevier's Neuropsychological Tools for Dementia and Cognitive Rehabilitation of Memory.

Inhalt

1. Introduction: Neuropsychology and the assessment of patients with dementia2. Alzheimer's disease: neuropathology, neuropsychological differential diagnosis, and treatment3. The alphasynucleinopathies: Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and multisystem atrophy4. Atypical Parkinson's diseases: progressive supranuclear paralysis and corticobasal degeneration5. Primary progressive aphasias6. Behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia7. Normal pressure hydrocephalus8. A short guideline for the neuropsychological differential diagnosis of the dementias9. Overview treatment options