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KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health and Longevity By Guy McKhann, M.D. and Marilyn Albert, Ph.D. Publisher: John Wiley & Sons in alliance with the Dana Press Publication date: April 26, 2002 Price: $24.95/hardcover // ISBN: 0-471-40792-5 Dr. Spock is to babies and their parents. KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG is must reading for anyone over 50; it should be on your bedside table." -- Judy Woodruff, CNN, and Al Hunt, Wall Street Journal NEW BOOK BY LEADING SCIENTISTS REVEALS HOW TO ACHIEVE PEAK BRAIN PERFORMANCE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR AGE Reading glasses, memory loss, sleep disturbances - these are just a few of the side effects of aging. In their new book, KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health and Longevity, two of the world's most prominent brain scientists, Guy McKhann, M.D. and Marilyn Albert, Ph.D., offer the most complete, authoritative, and up-to-the-minute look at aging and the brain for the lay reader. In clear and accessible language, they explain that recognizing how the brain works is the key to understanding the many normal changes that come with growing older, and reveal how it is possible to age more easily and gracefully, addressing such broad-ranging topics as memory, sleep, pain, balance, Alzheimer's, and stroke. "If there is one thing that determines how fully we live at an older age, it is how well our brains work," write Drs. McKhann and Albert. Not only is the brain linked to such things as memory, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, it is also connected to a multitude of other less obvious issues and conditions - including eyesight, hearing, bladder and sexual function, and cancer. In KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG, the authors explain these links and offer methods for helping prevent problems before they begin. Divided into three parts, KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG addresses the brain and everyday concerns; the brain and your body; and the brain and preventing and treating serious problems. Outlining all the normal changes and illnesses that can affect the brain as people age, each chapter concludes with a practical "what you can do" section that offers specific advice - such as:
Throughout, Drs. McKhann and Albert emphasize that people who are more mentally and physically active, and who sustain a sense of effectiveness - that is, feel in control of their lives, contribute to their family or to society, and generally feel good about themselves - are more likely to maintain their mental abilities. The authors stress that moderate exercise will ameliorate many of the common problems people have as they get older, including weakness, joint stiffness, and problems with balance. Moreover, it will sharpen cognitive skills, lift depression, ward off changes in memory, and perhaps even reduce the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Drs. McKhann and Albert also explain that keeping one's mind active through reading, doing crossword puzzles, or attending lectures and concerts, will do wonders for maintaining mental acuity. KEEP YOUR BRAIN YOUNG is illustrated with dozens of case studies - from the authors' own experience, as well as from the lives of their friends, family, and patients. Offering a multitude of helpful coping mechanisms as well as ways to prevent problems before they begin, it is an invaluable guidebook for boosting mental and physical functionality in the second half of life. ABOUT THE AUTHORS GUY MCKHANN, M.D. is Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Founding Director of the schoolıs Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute. He has appeared on 60 Minutes and other national media. He is married to Marilyn Albert and divides his time between their homes in Baltimore and Boston. MARILYN ALBERT, PH.D. is Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at Harvard Medical School. She is Director of the Gerontology Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and of the Harvard-Mahoney Neuroscience Institute at Harvard Medical School. She has appeared on the Today show and on PBS-TV. She is married to Guy McKhann and divides her time between their homes in Boston and Baltimore. |
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