Fighting for our Minds

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Dementia is one of the most pressing medical and social issues of our time. Best estimates indicate that half of us will be affected in our lifetimes, either by developing the condition or by caring for a loved one with dementia. However, there is hope for changing these dire numbers through science. In this book, eminent neuroscientist Professor Tara Spires-Jones, who has been working in dementia research for over 20 years, describes the brain changes that cause dementias and how advances in neuroscience are finally bringing hope for life-changing treatments. Because dementia affects so many of us, there are often stories in the news covering new discoveries that claim to be the next big breakthrough treatment or the best way to reduce risk of developing the condition. This book outlines the most robust, reproducible evidence about the neuroscience of dementia and the most promising approaches for prevention and treatment. Research has recently led to the first treatments that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. These harness the immune system to remove pathology from the brain. However, new treatments only moderately slow progression and have serious side effects, so they are not the end of the story. New more promising therapeutic avenues are being tested that should in the coming years result in truly life-changing treatments. In the meantime, this book lays out things we can do to boost our own brain health and support dementia researchers in the fight to end dementia.</jats:p>