Alzheimer’s Disease: What We Know and What We Don’t
Brian Carpenter is a professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, and the recipient of their David Hadas Teaching Award. His primary research interests focus on relationships among older adults, their family members, and their health care providers. In particular, he studies communication among those three parties, with an eye toward developing interventions to improve knowledge and enhance health literacy. Dr. Carpenter teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate level that address the psychological needs of older adults, with a particular emphasis on end-of-life care and dementia.
Overview
First identified in 1906 by Alois Alzheimer as an “unusual disease of the cerebral cortex,” Alzheimer Disease (AD) has been the focus of a massive international research effort, heated debates about public policy and healthcare funding, and arguments among scholars and the rest of us about personhood, autonomy, and quality of life. After all these years, we understand much about what goes on in the brains of people with AD, who is at risk for developing it, and how it can be managed. But substantial mysteries remain about causes and consequences. In this class, you’ll learn about current research on methods for detecting AD, treatment approaches for patients, and evidence-based support programs for caregivers, along with some of the ways AD has eluded our understanding and remains one of the great public health challenges of the century.