This book is a very good overview of the various types, risk factors and causes of dementia. I particularly liked the fact that it tackled the stigma of dementia and looked at the condition as something that can be lived with, and well. The author has a relative with dementia and draws on that experience occasionally over the course of the book. The focus on patient-centred care was welcome, as was the statement that resources need to be allocated to help the caregivers as well, because the caregivers are risking their own health as well.

I also appreciated the very brief mention of the fact that clinical trials aren’t always the greatest because the drugs are tested mostly on male animals, not female animals. Historically, males have been preferred for clinical studies because allegedly women’s hormones are too dang unpredictable for the researchers to account for. Well, apparently men’s hormones fluctuate just as much as or even more than women’s, and less predictably. So HA.

I found this easier to follow than some of the Very Short Introductions because I’ve read a lot about dementia and about the mind and medicine more generally, but there were still a few acronyms that tripped me up (NPT, non-pharmacological treatments, or CSF, which I know is cerebrospinal fluid but I always have to stop and think about it).

I would certainly recommend this if you’re looking for a concise summary of what dementia is and potential avenues of treatment. ( )