The aging brain and senile dementia : [proceedings of the Symposium on the Aging Brain and Senile Dementia held in Boston, Massachusetts, June 2-4, 1976

There are currently about 21 million people over 6S years in the United States and over a million of them suffer from a severe degree of mental impairment. This number will undoubtedly increase as more and more people attain their full lifespan. The Veterans Administration is acutely aware of this problem in the population it serves. Currently, there are about 31 million veterans in the United States. About 13 percent of these veterans are over 6S years of age and the number is expected to increase to 40 percent by the turn of the century. In recognition of the pressing need to address this problem, eight Geriatric Research, Educational and Clinical Centers (GRECC) have been established under the auspices of the Veterans Administration and the guiding spirit of Dr. Paul Haber, Assistant Chief Medical Director for Professional Services, Veterans Administration. The purpose of these centers is to develop a better understanding of the complex biomedical and socio-economic problems of the aged in general and to enhance the quality of life of the older veterans in particular o Gerontologists working towards a better understanding of the aging process and better care of the aged have made major progress in the biomedical field in the last decade. Among the efforts made by the Veterans Administration, the department of Extended Care and Academic Affairs have sponsored a number of symposia in the field of Gerontology. Front Matter....Pages i-viii Biomedical Aspects of Aging Research....Pages 1-12 Front Matter....Pages 13-13 Cell Loss with Aging....Pages 15-21 Dendritic Changes in Aging Rat Brain: Pyramidal Cell Dendrite Length and Ultrastructure....Pages 23-37 Differential Changes with Aging in Old and New Cortices....Pages 39-58 Effects of Age-Related Random and Coordinated Loss of Memory Engrams on Error Rates During Memory Retrieval....Pages 59-83 Changes in EEG Amplitude During Sleep with Age....Pages 85-98 Biochemical Significance of Age Pigment in Neurones....Pages 99-118 Chromatin in Aging Brain....Pages 119-140 Effects of Chronic Dosage with Chlorpromazine and Gerovital H 3 in the Aging Brain....Pages 141-156 Aging of Neurons in Culture....Pages 157-178 Front Matter....Pages 179-179 Immune Reactions in Aging Brain and Senile Dementia....Pages 181-196 Reversible Modification of Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability to Proteins....Pages 197-208 Neurofibrillary Pathology: An Update....Pages 209-227 Aluminum and the Genetic Apparatus in Alzheimer Disease....Pages 229-246 The Fibrous Proteins of Brain: A Primer for Gerontologists....Pages 247-263 Cerebral Circulatory and Electroencephalographic Changes in Aging and Dementia....Pages 265-270 Senile Dementia and Drug Therapy....Pages 271-283 Senile and Pre-Senile Dementia: A Clinical Overview....Pages 285-297 Back Matter....Pages 299-307