Learning About Alzheimer's Disease

Harriet Baldwin

Mondays, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
September 27 - November 2, 2004
D.O.C. House

We all worry about Alzheimer's Disease — for ourselves, our friends, and our family members. We know that the disease is progressive and irreversible, and that the likelihood of having it increases as we age. What causes it? Can it be treated? What research is going on? What public policy issues does it raise? How can we manage it in ourselves or in a loved one? Can we hope for a cure? This course will deal with these questions (and other questions) so that we can develop a realistic view of the disease and deepen our awareness of its impact. A specialist in Alzheimer's will lead each session. About 20 pages of reading will be expected each week from a book of readings ($15.00).

September 27

Introducing the Course The Study Leader
An Introduction to Alzheimer's Disease
Robert B. Santulli, MD; Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, DMS; Director, Memory Disorders Service, DHMC

October 4

Clinical Issues in Alzheimer's Disease
Robert B. Santulli, MD

October 11

New Brain Imaging Research: Preclinical Diagnosis and Medication Response
Andrew Saykin, PsyD; Professor of Psychiatry & Radiology, DMS; Director, Neuropsychology Program and Brain Imaging Laboratory, DHMC

October 18

Moral and Ethical Issues in Alzheimer's Disease
Diane Palac, MD; Assistant Professor of Medicine, DMS; DHMC; Member, DHMC Ethics Committee; Chair, Subcommittee for Consultants

October 25

Public Policy Issues in Alzheimer's Disease
Speaker from the Alzheimer's Association of VT and NH; to be announced

November 1

Caregiving in Alzheimer's Disease
Ruth Whybrow, ACSW; Private Practice of Psychotherapy, Lebanon, NH

Class is limited to 20 members.

Harriet Baldwin has had many years of professional experience in writing course materials and leading workshops for secondary school teachers. After her retirement, she was an active volunteer with the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Washington, DC. She now volunteers in Kendal's programs for cognitively impaired persons. She led an ILEAD course on The Treatment of Serious Mental Illness Today in the winter of 2002. She writes, reads, travels, and spends summers in the White Mountains.