Tangled Minds: Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

by Muriel R. Gillick

Alzheimer's has struck more than 4 million of the nation's elderly and is the most common form of mental degeneration. In Tangled Minds , Dr. Muriel R. Gillick convincingly demonstrates that confusion and loss of memory resulting from Alzheimer's, or in any form, is a disease known as dementia, and not an inevitable part of aging.

Tangled Minds provides a comprehensive overview of dementia, its history, the politics of its fight for recognition, the research being done to discover its causes, and the treatments now being used to alleviate its symptoms. Weaving these details around the story of one Alzheimer's patient, Gillick provides both a human interest story and an analytical study. Clearly describing medical details while fully capturing the pain of dementia with compassionate insight, Tangled Minds is an invaluable resource for family, friends, caregivers, and professionals dealing with Alzheimer's and similar disorders.

Genres: Psychology, Health, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Jennifer Giles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the progression of Alzheimer's. I borrowed the copy from a friend, and I would like to see an updated version with the science and research of the the last decade included.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband bought this 10 years ago when his father died and his mother was diagnosed with severe dementia and we were told she could not live alone. I decided to read it this year as my mother's memory and health declined. I enjoyed the case studies, but some parts were just too technical and dry.
Some interesting facts:
1. "Only three thousand Americans were over one hundred years old in 1960' in 1995 the number reached fifty-four thousand, and the projection for 2050 is 2.7 million."
2. "Belief that we will remain free of dementia, in short, is a self fulfilling prophecy. Friedan chooses to minimize the significance of Alzheimer's by stressing the fact that only 5% of americans over 65 have dementia--quietly omitting the observation that nearly 50 percent of those over 85 are afflicted."
3. "Terminally ill cancer patients who are alert enough to describe their feelings typically do not report thirst or hunger when they lose the capacity to eat and drink. From an ethical point of view, administration of intravenous solutions and tube feeding is not required to promote the patient's comfort."

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was almost too technical to be helpful. It's so dry and textbook-ish that it's hard to read. I suppose someone with more knowledge or a greater interest in the subject would have found this more useful than I, who only read it for fun.