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Self, senility, and Alzheimer's disease in modern America: a history
Book

Self, senility, and Alzheimer's disease in modern America: a history

Jesse F. Ballenger
2006

Abstract

Alzheimer Disease Alzheimer's & Dementia Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer, Maladie d Alzheimer-Krankheit Alzheimerkrankheit Alzheimers sjukdom Attitude to Health Attitudes à l'égard de la santé Demenz Diseases Geriatrie Gerontologie HEALTH & FITNESS Health attitudes Histoire historia History, 19th Century History, 20th Century Ich-Auflösung Maladie d'Alzheimer Médecine Perception de soi Self Concept Self-perception Senile Demenz Sozialer Wandel Soziales Wissenschaftsentwicklung History
Senility haunts the landscape of the self-made man, asserts historian Jesse Ballenger. Here, Ballenger traces the transformation of senility as a cultural category from the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth century, when Alzheimer's disease became increasingly associated with the terrifying concept of losing one's self." "Drawing on scientific and popular discourses on aging and dementia, Ballenger explores the significance of dementia as a major health issue and the emergence of gerontology as a science to describe normal aging and distinguish it from disease. In addition, he examines how psychiatry approaches the treatment of senility and follows scientific attempts to understand the brain pathology of dementia.

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