New Trends in the Diagnosis and Therapy of Non-Alzheimer's Dementia : Springer : 9783211828236 : 3211828230 : 16 Jul 1996 : Dementia is an acquired disorder of higher cerebral functions and cognition. Because of increasing life expectancy dementia poses a major health and socio­ economic problem. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 70-90% of mental decline in the elderly. Degenerative non-Alzheimer's dementi as are responsi­ ble for 7-30%. These include a variety of disorders clinically characterised by progressive cognitive dysfunction often combined with focal neurological def­ icits, e.g. Parkinson-plus syndromes, Lewy body dementia, lobar and multisys­ tem atrophies, other neurodegenerative disorders, and prion diseases. Often it is difficult to distinguish these illnesses from Alzheimer's disease and vascu­ lar dementia. In spite of considerable progress in molecular genetics, biochemistry, and neuropathology, the classification and pathogenesis of non-Alzheimer's dementias are still