Includes bibliographical references and index.

Longtime neurologist Robert Levine argues we cannot continue the way we have, pretending that dementia cannot happen to us. The earlier the campaign is initiated to repel and defend against the threat of dementia, the greater the chances the combatant will emerge victorious. As American society continues to grow older, tackling one of the more confusing and frightening diseases becomes a more urgent need. This book urges understanding, offers preventative measures, considers various treatments, and looks to the future to see where we might be headed. In a new afterword, Levine updates the state of the research into dementia, its causes and constitution, and considers the various approaches both the medical community and everyday people can take to deal with it.

Understanding dementia -- Introduction -- Confounders of dementia: normal aging, mild cognitive impairment and pseudo-dementia -- Alzheimer's disease -- Fronto-temporal dementia: Pick's disease -- Dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia -- Vascular dementia and mixed dementia -- Less common forms of dementia -- Lowering the risk of dementia and maximizing cognitive function -- Accelerated aging, cognitive reserve and what we can't control -- The importance of physical activity and exercise -- The need for cognitive stimulation and socialization -- Diet and substances that may reduce the risk of dementia.