In Pursuit of Memory: The Fight Against Alzheimer's

by Joseph Jebelli

Alzheimer's is the great global epidemic of our time, affecting millions worldwide -- there are more than 5 million people diagnosed in the US alone. And as our population ages, scientists are working against the clock to find a cure.

Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli is among them. His beloved grandfather had Alzheimer's and now he's written the book he needed then -- a very human history of this frightening disease. But In Pursuit of Memory is also a thrilling scientific detective story that takes you behind the headlines. Jebelli's quest takes us from nineteenth-century Germany and post-war England, to the jungles of Papua New Guinea and the technological proving grounds of Japan; through America, India, China, Iceland, Sweden, and Colombia. Its heroes are scientists from around the world -- many of whom he's worked with -- and the brave patients and families who have changed the way that researchers think about the disease.

This compelling insider's account shows vividly why Jebelli feels so hopeful about a cure, but also why our best defense in the meantime is to understand the disease. In Pursuit of Memory is a clever, moving, eye-opening guide to the threat one in three of us faces now.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Health, Medical, Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychology

320 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 2017

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) Debut author and neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli has a personal stake in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease: his beloved grandfather succumbed to it back in Iran in 2012. With the world’s population aging, it’s expected that by 2050 Alzheimer’s will be the second leading cause of death (after heart disease). What to do in the face of what Jebelli calls a “global and inescapable epidemic”? You might expect a book like this to be depressing, but instead it is reassuring to see how our understanding of dementia and the genetics of diseases has advanced in the last century and just how many research avenues are open and promising. Jebelli’s writing style is comparable to that of Siddhartha Mukherjee, Ed Yong and Atul Gawande. His prose is perhaps not quite as lively and literary as theirs, but he conveys scientific facts in a clear way the layman can understand; in addition, he balances history and research with a personal story readers can relate to.

See my full review at BookBrowse. (See also my article on Alzheimer’s facts.)

I won a copy in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you think of diseases that kill people cancer and heart disease would most top peoples list, but with the population in the western world getting older, other illnesses are having an effect on mortality rates and people’s quality of life. One of the most significant is Alzheimer's and dementia, a cruel disease that leaves the shell of the person whilst stealing their personality, dignity and their memories. The first time that Joseph Jebelli came across this illness was when he was twelve years old and his grandfather started doing strange things and becoming ‘indefinably peculiar’; Gone was the warm person he had known. This family tragedy became a pivotal point in his life and drove him to pursue a career in science researching the very disease that claimed his grandfather.

I felt totally alone, with the world receding away from me in every direction, and you could have used my anger to weld steel – Sir Terry Pratchett

Jebelli is now an established expert in the field of Alzheimer's research and in this interesting and informative book he sets about describing the background with Alois Alzheimer's discovery of the illness in 1906 all the way up to the current understanding of the science behind this distressing disease. Travelling all over the world he talks to the people at the cutting edge in laboratories about the latest avenues of research as they race to find a cure. He takes time to talk to sufferers and their families gaining a heartfelt understanding of the anguish they go through every day. It is a clear and well-written exploration of the different efforts that encompass research into Alzheimer's. There is a small amount on Sir Terry Pratchett, who was sadly one of those to get early onset Alzheimer's, or his embuggerance as he called it. He donated a fairly hefty sum of money to enable research, but more importantly, he spoke about his illness and spent time raising awareness of it. Jebelli writes about a difficult and personal subject in a way that brings clarity to the dark world that is Alzheimer's, I can highly recommend this book. 4.5 stars

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Jebelli has written a readable, personal and academic book that is understandable and left me thinking, and honestly rather terrified. I'm of the age where loss of memory (a word now and again, why I left what I was doing and am now standing blankly in the garage, losing hold on the thread of a story in the middle of its telling) begins to knock a person down, and that is the primary reason I slipped this on to my TBR shelf. Still, it didn't make it any easier to open and begin to read. And once reading commenced didn't make it any easier to not slam it shut and throw it over the fence. (ok. I've never done that. the temptation, however, is real.)

The author's first contact with this disease is in his own life, with his own grandfather. As a beloved grandson, he notices when things begin to change, and the dynamics between these two morphed into something only the grandson realized was different. From there, the journey grew into a life quest for the boy who became Dr. Jebelli, whose quest to find out more about Alzheimer's disease has proved him a world-changer, and has put him on the path that crosses daily with brave patients, and their families and advocates.

A sobering read, worrying, but sprinkled with a determined kind of hope, nonetheless.

[Amy Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book full of history on the disease and things we can hope for, like a cure. Having a grandmother who had Dementia through my late teen years I wound up babysitting her and reminding her who I was all too often. Now I have a future mother in law with it and she is very stubborn. My fiancé says I have helped them both so much but I hate witnessing what they both go through.

This book gives you ideas for situations you may be in and an idea of progression- although everyone is different. It also offers reasons for a cure. This disease to me is plain evil! You start grieving a loved one while they are still alive.

Highly recommend if you are interested in the history of this disease or have a loved one with Alzheimer's.


Won this book through Goodreads Giveaways and wanted (was not asked) to offer a fair and honest review.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through GoodReads' "First Reads" in exchange for a review.

Firstly, there is a very important topic for me. My great grandmother had Alzheimer's, as well as numerous others that I've gotten to know throughout my lifetime. One of the biggest things I often think about, and worry about, is the loss of my 'brain' in a working capacity, the memories, how to function, how to think, how to rationalize, philosophize, etc. Ever since seeing my great grandmother decay, visiting her two-three times a week at the home with my Grammy.... it's always been one of my biggest fears and concerns.

So this book was definitely of great interest to me, an Joseph Jebelli does an amazing job of showing both the scientific and the emotional side of things. As a relative of a patient he sympathizes greatly with those he's interviewed and those involved in the patient side of things. There is just so much to this disease, more than just the common thought of 'lost memories'. This is definitely a disease that needs to be eradicated now... like yesterday... like thirty years ago now.

Jebelli does a good job of explaining the scientific jargon without over-explaining and dumbing down, also without exaggerating the illness, and just spelling it out exactly as it is, in all of it's various forms. The writing style is simple, easy flowing, and personable.

A definite recommend for anyone with any kind of interest in the disease.

[Natalie S · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are currently staring down the barrel of an epidemic with respect to the aging disorders Alzheimer’s and dementia. Human beings are living longer and these diseases have increased to the point where it will soon be our leading cause of death, overtaking things like cancer and heart disease. There are claims that one in three of us will develop Alzheimer’s and that one in two people will care for someone with it. These claims are confirmation that books like Joseph Jebelli’s In Pursuit of Memory are an important part of the conversation and it’s one that should be required reading by all.

To read the rest of this review please visit: http://magazine.100percentrock.com/re...

[Darryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent book by a young British neuroscientist explores the history of Alzheimer's disease, dating from its discovery by a German psychiatrist over a century ago, and examines the promising multifaceted research currently taking place in the UK and the rest of the world in order to provide treatments or cures for this dreaded and ever more prevalent disorder. Stories of people with Alzheimer's are also included, particularly the one involving the demise of the author's paternal grandfather, which provide human faces to the disease. "In Pursuit of Memory" is accessible to both the lay reader and to scientists and clinicians, and is a very well written and compelling book that offers hope to those of us at risk for developing this crippling dementia.

[Sarah Letang · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for really anyone to read that has an interest in the disease - whether educationally or for personal matters.

I felt the book provided an easier understanding as to why AD is so confusing to researchers, what has been studied and found, where progress still needs to be made, and what is holding us back on that progress. This book was very helpful for me personally as I begin my dissertation on AD. Have only a background in the neuropsych of AD, this book helped me further understand more of the history and biological/chemistry science behind it without it being too dense or textbookish to help me further determine areas of interest to study.

This book has also helped me with more personal matters of AD as my family struggles to understand if my grandmother is suffering from AD or some other neuro cognitive impairment. AD and dementia are often used interchangeably, and that shouldn’t be the case. There are several types of dementia, but AD is often used to label them. Although I personally had a firm grasp of understanding these differences, it still provided more detail on AD symptoms that anyone could benefit from knowing and how it can be so hard to determine what someone really has.

[Christina Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book unputdownable, and I've read plenty of Alzheimer's and brain books. Jebelli writes engagingly and with sympathy, tracing the history of the disease's discovery, its certain and possible causes, and its possible avenues toward a cure. Although it's too late for my mother-in-law, it made me want alternately want to give her a blood transfusion from a young person, hit her with a round of cancer drugs, and prepare some curry dishes for her to eat. Who cares if the human trials were nonexistent or inconclusive at this point--could it possibly hurt? And if, by 2050, 135 million people worldwide will be sufferers, I'm all for throwing the spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. (Not that this book isn't full of lots of good, solid science.)

A great read, and a hopeful one, too, if you don't think too hard about the 135 million people who will require 135 million caregivers.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this excellent book.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of interesting and probably accurate information about the history of and research about Alzheimer's. One obvious error made this a 4 rather than 5 star book for me. (The author asserts that Kurt Vonnegut got the idea for Ice 9 in Cat's Cradle from Stanley Prusiner's discover and description of prions. Cat's Cradle was first published in 1963. Prusiner described and named prions in 1982.)

My mother had dementia which was probably Alzheimer's so I hoped to learn that an effective treatment is close. No such luck. Still, the author does share information on some of the paths that researchers are following to search for treatments. Alzheimer's is a huge problem. So many people could benefit from a drug that slowed progress of this devastating disease. More effort (money) should go into Alzheimer's research.

[Sid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joseph J, the author, demonstrated an extremely thoroughly researched and easy to read style of writing. My favorite quote from the book, The idea is to die young as late as possible.

The disease is caused by a gene mutation. Certain countries are less prone to Alzheimer's, incl. India, Iceland and Nigeria. Certain families and countries are more prone to the disease, Columbia. Nature "loads the gun," lifestyle can "pull the trigger."

Certain lifestyle traits can lower the likelihood of getting the disease:
1. Foods that include tumeric can reduce plaques, however, the substance doesn't stay in the blood stream long enough to make a lasting difference.
2. Running or intense cardio can prevent plaque build-up in the brain.
3. Engaging in lively discussions, thinking critically, avoiding passive activities also help keep the mind stimulated.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

In pursuit of Memory: The Fight Against Alzheimer's is an in-depth look into study and research of this devastating disease with no cure. More and more, families have been affected by this diagnoses and loved ones learning about dementia and Alzheimer's.

The book is broken down into five parts:

1. Origins
2. Research
3. Prevention
4. Experimentation
5. Discovery

I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. I am paying it forward by passing this book along to my father to read as he copes with the effects of dementia in my mother. I am in hope that he can gain some insight to aid them both.

[Anna Morgenstern · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so fascinating, I had to binge-listen to the entire approximate 8-hour audiobook (sleeping is for losers).
In a thorough investigation of the disease, its manifestation, where it came from, and, most importantly, how or where to find medications the author travels around the world in search of an answer, as so much about the brain and its afflictions are unknown.
There is so much to learn from this book and yet it is done in a way so accessible to the reader, never condescending or talking above the readers' heads, so don't be put off by the difficult subject.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone I love has Alzheimer's disease, and it is usually too painful for me to read books or watch movies about the condition.

However, after hearing an interview about this book on Fresh Air, I found it and read it in a day and a half.

I found it both overwhelmingly well-researched, it's obvious the author has credibility on the subject, but the balance of this with the interviews with patients and his own reflections were poignant and painful. Very well-done.

[Deepa Krishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. I think it is important to know what’s happening in the world of Alzheimer’s research, given how rampant it is. This is a great sequel to the other book on Alzheimer’s that I had read earlier in the year which was about a proven way to combat Alzheimer’s. Thankfully the authors say the same thing - the disease can’t be cured with a single pill but continued research should give us all hope. Fantastic end to the end of the year for me as it relates to books. I am glad to have ended the year with this book.

[dootz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting, informative, and easy to read book. Not an easy task for such a heavy and terrifying topic. Best part, it provides some hope in the end.

[Danielle Gunkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and engaging for a rather medically technical topic. Jebelli provides a deep summary of Alzheimer's - its history, disease progression, impact, and research - using the stories of real people.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book, which I demolished in two days. It was that readable! It's a keeper - I am certain I will refer back to it many times. Jebelli (a neurobiologist) writes in accessible prose and isn't afraid to get personal - he shares vignettes about families contending with dementia and updates us on their progress later in the book.

Alzheimer's disease is the next pandemic. Despite that, spending on research is pitiful. While there are no truly effective drugs or treatments, Jebelli describes those that hold promise. He emphasizes that every blind alley points us to what's at the root of the disease. For example, it seems we are on the brink of understanding whether the beta-amyloid cascade causes disease or is a symptom of it. Plaques of this protein often herald the tipping point. Still, antibodies for reducing beta-amyloid haven't fulfilled their promise (the latest being aducanumab), but this could be a "too little, too late" issue. Early detection is key and Jebelli mentions how, here, science is accelerating at an exponential rate. We are on the cusp of detecting signs of imminent disease in our blood, hair, or even tears - not to mention retinal scans. If that can be done in an individual's thirties, say, there is time for meaningful intervention. And with the advent of CRISPR technology, gene-editing is not a crazy idea. One day, it is feasible that we could switch out point mutations that cause early onset.

In researching and writing his book, Jebelli has explored the range of possibilities. And this gives me hope: "There is no single path, no one idea to pursue indefinitely. The march of each idea provided the footing for another. And only when enough ideas converge shall we ever reach the summit."

He predicts that there will be a viable intervention for the next generation. To keep the disease at bay, rather like we do for diabetes today. In the meantime, it's plain smart to keep fit and stay intellectually and socially engaged. Why not? However, the book seems to say that we cannot expect people to single-handedly avoid getting Alzheimer's disease. Jebelli's grandfather, who "did everything right," inexplicably got the disease in his mid-seventies. Genetics play a big role, one that science is still unearthing. Mutations like APP and PSEN1, if inherited, will absolutely bring about early onset. APOE4, a gene variant, will tilt the odds towards getting dementia. So, research is imperative - to understand what's cause, what's effect, and why, so often, it's the hippocampus that goes first. He had a fascinating chapter on prions (mishappen proteins that behave like infectious agents) and I couldn't help but wonder if they play a role in the later stages of the disease, once the tau tangles start to appear.

The book left me with more questions than answers but it's curiosity that will save us. As a caregiver, it is easy to resign oneself to thinking that it's just something we'll have to endure - let's just get busy finding ways to keep people with dementia safe, comfortable and engaged. Yes, let's! But, better yet, let's fully understand memory and how best to preserve it throughout our lifetimes.

[Jood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a frightening thought:

“.....Globally, there's a new diagnosis every four seconds, and even that's a conservative estimate. In England,for example, it's thought that only 48 per cent of people with dementia receive a diagnosis. The remaining 52 percent may be people whose symptoms are mistaken for something else – like stress, the side effects of medication, normal ageing – or elderly people who live on their own.”

I have a personal interest in reading as much as I can about dementia as my mother is one of the 800,000+ people annually diagnosed in the UK alone. I have to accept that I, or other members of my family, may one day suffer from it.

This is one of the most enlightening, readable and interesting books I've read on the subject; it deals more specifically with Alzheimer's which is just one form of dementia, rather than dementia as a whole. How many of us knew that there are different forms of Alzheimer's? How many of us knew there is a link between Down's syndrome and Alzheimer's, or a treatment for cancer and Alzheimer's? I certainly didn't.

There are so many questions about this disease: could a transfusion of young blood into an elderly body have a beneficial effect? Can you catch the disease? Is there a gene responsible for it? Why do Icelanders not suffer from it? And so on, and on. The answers are as intriguing as the questions.

I have recently completed a course in Dementia Care, simply for my own interest, and in order to help better understand, and help care for my mum To say the a person “suffers” when speaking of dementia and its various forms often sounds strange to me, as it is a disease which affects everyone around that person, who can be unaware of what's happening. It is indeed a cruel disease.

The fact the the UK government, thanks to the Chief Medical Officer, one Sally Davies, as recently as 2014, decided not only to NOT follow certain recommendations with regard to using particular disinfectants in hospitals, but to reject out of hand requests for funding blood samples is not only irresponsible but outrageous. Apparently the government had “limited budgets for healthcare, public health and research.......”

Joseph Jebelli, whose grandfather suffered from Alzheimer's felt compelled, from an early age, to research this dreadful disease; he writes with authority and passion making this a fascinating book with many anecdotal stories whilst being stuffed full of the science of research. My personal thanks and admiration go to the unsung heroes who dedicate their careers to solving the riddle of Alzheimer's.

Thanks to Amazon for a complimentary copy to review

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on Alzheimer's disease that I have read. It combines interviews with Alzheimer's patients and their families with a comprehensive history of research on the disease from ancient times to 2016. I am a retired neurologist with early stage Alzheimer;s disease. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the disease but especially to those with Alzheimer's disease who are still able to read. From both of my personal perspectives I found it to be fascinating as well as hopeful.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read about the research into Alzheimer's.

[Justin Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alzheimer's disease or dementia is one of the most terrifying illnesses that will afflict many of us who grow old. But what is it that makes some people, like the author’s grandad, start to lose memories within those 86 billion cells that make up our brain? Yet the Queen and Jebbeli’s grandma, grandad's wife, were still able to think and remember in a way that others can’t. What is it that makes the Queen remember whole speeches when his grandad can't even draw a single clock face on a piece of paper? This is the aim of this book: to try and understand that dilemma and disease itself.
- Alzheimer’s, a global disease affecting 47 million people worldwide and over 800,000 in the UK alone, is expected to impact 135 million people by 2050. This alarming statistic surpasses cancer to become the second leading cause of death after heart disease, reflecting the growing concern about the ageing population. The widespread awareness of Alzheimer’s stems from the personal experiences of almost everyone, as they know someone affected, whether a family member or a friend.
- This fascinating book that explores both the science behind what might be causing dementia, such as Alzheimer’s, and also the human story of people’s lives and those of the carers. It tells the history of how people came to discover dementia. Obviously, for most of our history, people have usually not lived beyond 50 or 60, and the average lifespan was 30 and then 40. But now that we are living into our 80s and 90s. By this age, one in two of us are likely suffering from it, and the other one is caring for the person who already has dementia.
- PERSONAL HISTORY: Now that I have a mum with dementia, who was once able and sociable, and now I’m watching her constantly changing personality, initially just things that she would forget or things that she would struggle to use (my mum once could completed a Times cryptic crossword puzzle – something I’ve never been able to do), can barely use a remote control, struggles to recall names, thinks that the house that she lives in belongs to someone else and that someone’s left all these clothes in her flat that aren’t her’s – though it’s strange that they all fit her as I have to remind her. This has been a slow, long decline but now it recently has become quite rapid. She thinks her daughter is her best friend whose mother was her auntie. My mum will ask my sister, ‘how is your mother’ to which my sister has to reply, “You’re my mum.” And yet all this confusion, and she knows she can’t remember recent events and is much better on her past and speaks eloquently and in detail about her childhood and early life, and yet she can’t tell you what day it was or recalls what I have just told her and can’t recall appointments or people she’s recently met. I came to this book wanting to know more. Mum has no awareness of her own decline in cognition or dementia, complains about the carers who come and deliver her medicine, says she doesn’t need them, and yet always wants to keep asking if there’s anything that you want. Personally, I just would love her to be better, but I know that’s not going to happen. But also, I realise it’s important to share these predicaments because people don’t.
- FAILURE IN SCIENCE: There's a lovely description about failure and though most drug trials end in failure, it’s the moving force of science and can seal off one possibility to expose another; they force us to look at the problem in a new light. Each failure shows us a new path to explore. It helps to understand more of what might be causing something and it might be a new way or a new approach dealing with a problem. Failure is only a setback which helps look at something new.
- PRESVENTION: The third part of the book looks at possible prevention that people might do to reduce its impact. Some research suggests that we can reduce Dementia and Alzheimer's by exercising and walking, eating a healthier diet (I take an omega 3 pill every day and try to eat oily fish at least once a week), and the value of exercise and walking. But there is one significant marker, stress, which has a significant impact on having a higher risk of dementia, and that is something that is worth avoiding. The book looks at that in quite significant detail about how stress impacts on the build-up of plaques and amyloid that can be markers for dementia risk and man-made stress will lead to higher levels of risk of dementia. However, the author’s grandad walked and ate a healthy diet, but he still suffered from it. People suffering from neuroticism are often at a higher risk of dementia than with other personality types.
- DOWN’S SYNDROME: The book looks at down syndrome and how that can also have a possible impact on reducing or increasing dementia, people with Down’s will often suffer an early onset form of dementia. They will often succumb to a form of dementia and at a much early age which in turn will lead them to a much earlier death and we also know that they do have a genetic abnormality in their Y chromosome on the 23rd chromosome.
- DIET: People who tend to eat a Mediterranean diet reduce the risk of getting dementia. Things like garlic, cinnamon, oily fish, nuts, legumes, and vegetables and fruit are all beneficial to reducing cognitive decline, which may also mean a reduced risk of dementia.
- Did also some interesting experiments and anecdotal evidence on the effects of cumin and turmeric and people who eat curries have less risk of Dementia than people who don't in big data studies, but this is still anecdotal and not certain.
- EXERCISE: Exercise, even in moderation, appears to have a good correlation in reducing cognitive decline. For example, can reduce blood pressure and blood levels, although it also helps with BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which would help to produce more neurons, which then help support reduction in cognitive decline and increase your ability in cognition.
-BRAIN TRAINING: Brain training, too, may also has a role in helping to reduce dementia in patients and people who have dementia. Doing a simple range activities such as checkers, card games, and crosswords, which have been shown to have some reduce risk of dementia up to 47%, and even in people with dementia, it helps them to carry out daily tasks that they wouldn't have if they weren't doing these activities.
- NUN’S STUDY: The book discusses brain reserves and that there's a very famous study where nuns and the way that they would write an essay, for example, when they were younger, often predict whether they would have dementia later in life, and there's an example of the two different ways of writing an article.
- “The nuns proved to be ideal research subjects. Their uniform living conditions, consistent diet and exercise routines, and careful record-keeping reduced external variables, allowing researchers to focus more directly on the impact of education. Their meticulous archives also gave Dr. Snowdon access to medical and personal records dating back to the late 1800s, including autobiographical essays written in their early twenties upon entering the convent.
By analysing the grammatical and linguistic complexity of these essays—what he termed idea density—Snowdon uncovered a striking link to Alzheimer’s risk. For example, a simple statement such as “There are ten children in the family: six boys and four girls. Two of the boys are dead” reflected low idea density and was strongly associated with later Alzheimer’s. In contrast, a more elaborate account like “Already two, a brother and a sister, had begun the family, which would gradually reach the number of eight. When I was in the fourth grade, death visited our family, taking one to whom I was very particularly attached, my little brother, Karl, who was but a year and a half old” indicated higher idea density and a lower risk. Remarkably, 90% of the sisters whose essays displayed low idea density eventually developed Alzheimer’s. From writings composed six decades earlier, Snowdon could predict with about 80% accuracy which nuns would go on to develop the disease.”
- SLEEP: No one knows why we sleep; for many people, it might seem that we will give our brain a chance to rest, but our brain is 95% working compared to the way it works when we are awake, so it remains very active even when we sleep. Sleep is a superpower and needed; it seems to benefit cognitive productivity, and a lack of sleep increases the risk of cognitive decline and possible dementia.
- MICE STUDIES: If you wonder why they use mice in experiments, it’s because they share a genetic DNA that is almost 99% similar to that of humans.
- BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS: If you have high blood pressure in middle age this puts you at high risk of dementia. However, if your blood pressure is too low, especially over the age of 75, the chance of Alzheimer's still increases. We don't know why. But most evidence points towards a link between blood pressure and inflammation.
- “In a single day, human blood travels through 96,000 kilometres of capillaries, veins in arteries dash enough to encircle the globe four times. It passes through every organ in the body, but a hefty 25% of its volume flow solely through the brain. Why? Because it's doing a lot more than ferrying oxygen. Besides red and white blood cells, blood carries more than 700 proteins in its plasma, the fluid portion of blood. What many of them do is completely unknown. But like everything else, they change as we age: some fade away while others appear more.” So, it's worth exploring what these changes might mean for the brain and how they could affect memory.
- SENSES – VISION, HEARING, SMELL: One of the first senses to fail in dementia is smell. Experiments have shown that people with Alzheimer’s often cannot detect the scent of peanut butter — particularly through the left nostril. This simple observation has led researchers to explore whether smell tests could be used as early diagnostic tools.
- Visual processing can also be affected. A specific form of dementia, Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), distorts how the brain interprets what the eyes see, making it hard to recognise objects or read words. The book vividly explains how such conditions show the delicate complexity of the human brain — and how easily it can falter.
- There is an interesting experiment where if you give people peanut butter, in people with Alzheimer’s, they often lose the ability to detect the smell of peanut butter. Also, interestingly, the left nostril tends to be the most affected, than the right nostril, Alzheimer's tends to damage more on the left side than the right side of the brain.
- The loss of the sense of smell is so well documented that many scientists are looking at the ability to smell something like peanut butter as a marker to detect early onset of the disease.
- People with hearing loss are also more likely to develop dementia than those who don’t have hearing loss.
- CANCER: The book then looked at how treatments for cancer might have an impact on dementia because people who have cancer have a less likelihood of getting dementia than those who don't.
- SCHIZOPHRENIA: The book also talks about how some genetic makeup and markers can indicate schizophrenia and tends to be in collaboration with the people who are more creative and artistic. Where is the general population? Is one percent being schizophrenic in the general population but rises in artists the number rises to 10% so looking at these genetic markers although that is the price that we pay for our Mozart’s, Shakespeare's, and The Beatles is that by looking at genetic markers and letters. In some cases, it could just be a single letter that is out which can be both used to be more at risk of getting dementia or reduced risk of getting dementia as shown in some Icelandic studies.
- AGEING: Some argument might be that the dementia or Alzheimer's is an increased risk of age of the brain after all we all age and we see it in and I'll posture and other in the need for glasses that things to start to wear out but perhaps Alzheimer's or dementia is an accelerated form of agent and the plan would be to try to reduce that at least in the brain from afar or collecting plaques becoming more forgetful at an increased risk and leading to Alzheimer's
- COLUMBIA: COUNTRY WITH THE HIGHEST RISK: While the author explores societies with lower risks of dementia, they also examine places like Colombia, which has one of the highest rates of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. This contrast helps shed light on potential treatments and management strategies for the condition.
- Statistically, one in three people will develop Alzheimer’s, and one in two will care for someone with it—especially if both reach older age. It’s a devastating disease. Losing the ability to connect with a loved one who no longer remembers anything and being unable to have a meaningful conversation with them, is heartbreaking. I’m experiencing this firsthand with my mum.
- COST: The amount of funding to support and treat dementia is negligible. We have to fund carers and home support or moving into a care home. The US spends more money on popcorn, Viagra and anti-aging face creams than it does on Alzheimer's research. We spend less on Alzheimer's than we do on other diseases such as cancer and heart attacks. We are sleepwalking into disaster. A 100 years ago diabetes was a death sentence and yet now we've come up with treatments that make it manageable. “If Alzheimer’s could be delayed by only one year, there would be 9 million people with the disease by 2050. A 5-year delay, some scientists predict, would effectively halve the globes 46 million sufferers, saving healthcare services approximately $600 billion a year.”
- Cancer which kills a similar number of people to Alzheimer's receive 10 times more funding for treatment than does Alzheimer's treatment.
- This book is a beautiful telling on some of the feelings that it must be so heartbreaking for love wants to see their partners people that they love family members are coming to the end of their memories and thoughts but it is full of love and hope and I really love this book and it also gave me thoughts about my own mother's condition as well because this is a personal journey now for me and I'm sure for millions in the UK and worldwide.
- SUMMARY: Ultimately, this book is as much about love as it is about loss. It captures the heartbreak of watching someone disappear while still being physically present — but also the deep tenderness that endures between carers and loved ones. The author closes with humility and reflection. He practises small acts of prevention — walking, eating oily fish, taking omega-3 — but accepts that chance still plays its role. As one quoted mountaineer put it: “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
- The story of Alzheimer’s is still being written, through every family, every experiment, and every act of care. This book stands as a testament to that ongoing journey — filled with sorrow, science, and an enduring belief in human resilience.

PASSAGES FROM THE BOOK:

“In the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory, the plaques begin by disrupting electrical signals between neurons, impairing the brain’s ability to create new memories. As the number of plaques increases, they trigger the rise of tangles, deformed proteins that completely disrupt the neurons’ internal transport mechanism. This neurotoxic storm eventually activates the brain’s immune system, but the damage is irreparable. Even our best efforts to combat Alzheimer’s are insufficient, and neurons continue to fall like dominoes.”

“Within a few years of symptom onset, neurons in the frontal lobe and cerebral cortex begin to perish, disrupting mood, spatial awareness, face recognition, and long-term memory. This process typically takes six to eight years, resulting in a brain the weight of an orange, having shrunk at three times the rate of normal ageing.”

“The brain works by constantly transmitting chemical messages across synapses. When a message is delivered, the neuron is said to have ‘fired’, resulting in countless different processes, from ensuring you continue to breathe to ensuring your fingers do what you tell them to do. These messages are called neurotransmitters, and most come in the form of chemical compounds. Glutamate and acetylcholine are two major neurotransmitters. The signals these molecules convey form the roots of many aspects of normal brain function, including emotion, learning, and memory. While pinpointing the origin of a thought in the brain is like deciding where a forest begins, thoughts are essentially generated by neurons triggering the release of neurotransmitters.”

“DNA, a simple molecule composed of four repeating chemical groups – Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), and Guanine (G) – holds a 3 billion-letter code in humans. Written out, this code would span 200 volumes, each containing 1,000 pages, and take a typist working eight hours a day for half a century to complete. Given its vastness, it’s understandable why finding a single spelling mistake would be challenging. However, the connection between Down’s syndrome and the location of the APP gene provided Dr. Goate with a promising starting point: chromosome 21. Just four years later, in February 1991, Goate made a groundbreaking discovery – a single letter of DNA code, a ’T’ that should have been a ‘C’. This seemingly insignificant mutation had the potential to dismantle Carol’s family. Genetics undeniably demonstrates the delicate balance we live on.”

“Take a moment to look around you. Every aspect of the image you see – the shapes, sizes, colours, depths, orientations, and motions – is generated by different networks of neurons in your brain. The seamless and movie-like projection we experience is an illusion. Our world isn’t truly ‘out there’ in the way we imagine; it’s compartmentalised internally and then stitched together into a neuronal mosaic at the back of the brain, known as the visual cortex.”

“Consider my current situation: I’m sitting in a departure lounge at Heathrow Airport. If just one part of my brain’s visual cortex were to shut down, the people walking past me might suddenly appear to move in snapshots. Conversely, if another part failed, I wouldn’t know how wide to open my hands to grasp my cup of coffee.”

[Vinod Peris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have watched the toll that Alzheimers took on my Dad and can personally relate to a lot that is in this book. It is for this very reason that as soon as I read the review in the Wall Street Journal, I knew I had to check out this book. The author Joseph Jebelli watched his beloved grandfather suffer with alzheimers and  deteriorate right in front of his eyes. This motivated him to become a neuroscientist and study Alzheimer's. In this well written book he lays out for us all the things that he has learned about including the history of the disease, the common symptoms and the recent discoveries and theories about what causes alzheimer’s. 

It seems like alzheimers is much more prevalent now and I am wondering if it is simply because people are living longer. I knew that very little was known about this disease when my Dad suffered through it and I was pleasantly surprised to read about the progress that has been made over the last several years on this very important malaise that is likely to afflict many of us. 

Mr. Jebelli starts out by explaining how one of the well established pieces of evidence pointing to alzheimers is the accumulation of plaque around the brain. He explains how beta amyloid peptides ultimately result in the formation of this plaque. It is still not clear how these accumulate and there are various theories on whether it is the root cause or a side effect of alzheimer’s. The proponents of the theory that plaque is the root cause of Alzheimers are called BAPtists, where BAP=beta amyloid plaque.  Apolipoprotein E (APoE) is a class of proteins involved in the metabolism of fats in the body.  It is the principal cholesterol carrier in the brain and is essential for healthy metabolism of cholesterol and triglycerides. They bind lipids to form water soluble compounds that can be transported through our circulatory system. In humans APoE come in three common isoforms, APoE2, APoE3 and APoE4. The APoE4 gene is associated with an increased risk for Alzheimers, however there are several environmental factors that also play a part in activating this condition.

A more recent theory for Alzheimer’s is associated with the microtubule-associated protein tau. According to this theory, the accumulation of these tau proteins result in hyperpohsphorylated tangles that undergo a degeneration resulting in lesions.  The proponents of this theory are called Tau-ists. There is an active debate on whether the Tau-ists or the BAPtist theory is the root cause or one is a result of the other. More recently there are studies that are trying to find a common ground between the two camps. 

Mr. Jebelli highlights the many near successes that researchers have had in this field, but then reminds us that some things that work well in mice, don’t work quite as well in human beings. The chapter about taking a piece of someone’s skin, and using it to grow neurons in a Petri dish is surreal. He also has the story about Shinya Yamanaka’s persistence that made this technique possible. 

One interesting genetic twist that has recently been discovered is the inverse correlation of alzheimers and cancer genes. Simply put, people who get Alzheimer’s have a lower risk of getting cancer and people with cancer are less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. 

I recently read a book on the importance of sleep and how we are getting less and less of it these days with all the distractions from binge watching to checking Facebook on your cell-phone. There has been a strong correlation between lack of sleep and alzheimer’s and it is conceivable that people are getting less sleep in modern times. Finally, Dr. Jebelli writes that  there is a strong connection between our olfactory capabilities and Alzheimer’s. I do recall that my Dad lost his sense of smell way before he exhibited the first symptoms of Alzheimers. At the time, we thought it was because of the nasal drops that he used to routinely use. Now, I think differently.

I am sure many of the findings in this book will have to be revised in the next decade. But then again, your brain may not quite be the same in the next decade. So read this quickly, while you still can!

[P K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I’m starting some research projects on AD as part of my new job, and wanted a broad history of our understanding of the disease. The author travels widely to visit both researchers in AD, as well as patients and their family members affected by the disease. As such, the book alternates between discussion of the science of AD, and the experience of AD. The science portions cover both previous landmark breakthroughs (most of them from the very beginnings of our discovery of the disease) as well as hot ongoing research in the field. The personal stories include Jebelli’s own stories about his grandfather’s deteriorating mind as he succumbed to AD, which seems like a driving force for Jebelli’s own research career. The science portions were the most interesting to me personally. I think Jebelli did a good job identifying exciting new areas of research and discussing them accessibly. Even as a researcher in this field (albeit a brand new one) I had not read about several of these approaches (e.g de-differentiating a person’s own skin cells to create stem cells to treat their AD, repurposed cancer drugs). I also found the section on occipital AD very interesting, as I had never heard of that condition before.
However, I also have a major criticism of the book. Jebelli is a scientist working in this field. In fact, reviews of this book paint him as a pioneer in the field, despite the fact that he is extremely young, and from my literature search has not made any landmark discoveries yet, as you would expect for someone who finished his PhD a small handful of years before writing this book. I’m not even sure if he is currently employed at a research institution because I could not find a professional page for him. The discussion of the science of this book, while broad and interesting, comes off as quite naïve in several portions (e.g failing to see that CRISPR technologies probably won’t lead to a useful AD treatment in adults because you’d have to individually access and edit every individual cell, failing to address that if a community has very low rates of AD but the individuals of that community rarely live past 60 that it’s probably not very interesting that none of them have AD). Additionally, he seems to subscribe to the amyloid-beta theory of AD, which has been pretty much discarded by AD researchers for many years now for several compelling reasons (see link below for great article about this topic). Lastly, for me personally, I found the ratio of science to personal anecdote too small.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, that was more than I bargained for. Even if you don't find yourself very interested in the subject, this covers a broad swathe of topics like blood transfusions, real life Tony Starks, villages of people with Alzheimer's, and a hopeful analysis of the core mystery at the center of Alzheimer's Disease—that of beta-amyloid. It's a relentlessly mind-expanding read.

In the brains of people with Alzheimer's, plaques and tangles are formed, the plaques which seemed to interrupt the highways of neurons and leave deposits of beta-amyloid, which typically acts as a gateway to what goes in or out of a neuron. But what happens when there's too much of it? Could this be the cause? What about the plaques that form inside of neurons?

If popular science is meant to invoke wonder in the layperson, then this gives as many leads to follow as the veins in a butterfly wing. Since the book was written five years ago as of this review and likely more as of you reading this, you might be inspired to write down and search for each study, especially the more bizarre ones like blood transfusion. A more grounded experiment on the drug crenezumab just ended a few weeks ago, testing the drug which had anti-amyloid properties on younger people with Alzheimer's genes. Perhaps they will try it again with a larger dose as one bright commenter suggested.

Since Alzheimer's can be pursued from all angles, there may not be one "cure," but a variety of approaches. Will it be genetic modification, lifelong geographic adjustments, drugs that target plaques, tangles, nearly invisible super-proteins? All of these are potential outcomes but it seems that Jebelli makes a case for greater funding for the cure as it will affect one out of three people and cost society more money than even cancer does in future.

However, Joseph Jebelli, in a chapter where he travels to Columbia, redirects his anger and siphons off his wonder in an outburst against FARC and in praise of far-right president (2002-2010) Alvaro Uribe for bolstering the economy by opening it up to free-trade. He praises him for fending off FARC and opening the borders for scientists to study again. Which is undeniably good, but the anger at FARC seems completely rooted in their collateral disruption of science. As if to further illustrate their barbarism he mentions—in em-dash—"Uribe's own father was killed by FARC"—also undeniably bad but why is this detail necessary? (Look up "Uribe false positive.")

In fact, Columbia just elected a former member of FARC last month. One premised on a greater extension of healthcare—something that Jebelli implicitly argues for within the same section of the chapter that he praises an opponent to this policy.

A few paragraphs later in a conversation with a Columbian about a young AD patient we hear this bit of everyday pointed banter.

"When I asked Madrigal if these families were getting any extra help from the government, she laughed.

'No,' she said. 'Welcome to Latin America.' "

My theory is that he heard about how bad things were from his cohorts in the book and didn't bother to do his own research, or want to disappoint them. Or maybe he's just a conservative. Why are scientists like this?

At least in the overwhelming amount of text that Jebelli stays in his lane as a science writer, the book is wonderful. He's got an easy prose with exciting variety, and even quotes classic literature at the beginning of each chapter. We get it, you enjoyed your literature class, but in fact I enjoy his appreciation of the arts. This certainly helps with his everyday descriptive powers and focus on human interaction.

Within these conversations new branches of material are pivoted with proper versatility and depth, as in the best investigative journalism. The book has been compared to works from Atul Gawande and Siddhartha Mukherjee, and despite its subject most obviously relevant to seniors, it really has the rapacious greed and speed of authors like Michio Kaku. Just fantastic. Maybe my expectations are too high for scientists to more politically engage with their fields, but if he really believes purpose in life is to help others then perhaps he could do more or less to compartmentalize these two variables.

[Gonçalo Gato · Rating 5 out of 5]

A obra "Em Busca da Memória: A Luta Contra a Doença de Alzheimer" é um livro escrito pelo neurocientista Joseph Jebelli, que explora a história, a ciência e os desafios em torno da doença de Alzheimer. Combinando narrativas pessoais com investigações científicas, Jebelli dá uma visão abrangente sobre a doença.
O livro começa por explicar as origens e os primeiros casos documentados de Alzheimer, destacando o trabalho de Alois Alzheimer, que descreveu pela primeira vez a doença em 1906. Ao longo da obra, são explorados os aspectos científicos da doença, como as placas de senis e os emaranhados neurofibrilares, que são características físicas do Alzheimer no cérebro.
Além do percurso da investigação científica, Jebelli também partilha histórias emocionantes de pacientes e das suas famílias, mostrando o impacto devastador da doença nas suas vidas. O autor discute as diferentes abordagens terapêuticas, desde os medicamentos que tentam retardar a progressão da doença até às novas investigações que exploram potenciais curas.
Jebelli, cujo avô também sofreu de Alzheimer, aborda a questão de uma forma pessoal, o que adiciona uma camada de humanidade e proximidade a esta obra. Ele também explora as investigações em curso e as esperanças para o futuro, sugerindo que, embora ainda não exista uma cura, os avanços na ciência e na medicina oferecem esperança de que um dia poderemos entender e talvez até erradicar a doença.
Em resumo, "Em Busca da Memória" é uma leitura informativa e comovente, que proporciona uma compreensão profunda sobre a doença, assim como os ensaios e investigações mais atuais.

[Ben Zimmerman · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Pursuit of Memory takes us on a path connecting narratives of the history of Alzheimer's research, current research being conducted, and stories of personal interactions with the disease. I know a little bit about Alzheimer's disease, and I felt that the book did a pretty good job covering most of the big lines of current research. However, I felt that Jebelli didn't do a great job of bringing things together. Small areas of research, with new or scant evidence, were given similar amounts of time to some bigger and more promising areas of research. I often was left feeling like I was getting Jebelli's opinions about Alzheimer's rather than a sense of the field as a whole, but it was never really clear to me what led Jebelli to those opinions. Does he do research on Alzheimer's himself? Did a particular argument win him over? Were some of the people he interviewed just a lot more charismatic? It's very unclear to me.

Also, I could do with a lot more science and less anecdote, but that is more because of my personal preferences. I think that the strongest part of the book was the early history of research in the disease.

Overall, it was an okay pop-science book about Alzheimer's disease, but I kept finding myself wishing that a much older, battered veteran of Alzheimer's science that had devoted his whole life to understanding the disease had written the book. I hope that the publication of this book does not deter that type of researcher from considering writing their own version.

[Pam Coon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a history of Alzheimer's and a chronicle of the race to its cure. This book was shortlisted for the Royal society Science Book Prize of 2017. It's a worthwhile read chronicling the history and pursuit of a cure for what is considered now the great global epidemic of our time (the leading cause of death in Great Britain, and affecting 1/3 of our aging population). This is not a depressing read. It is an informative and fascinating book. The author's grandfather had Alzheimers which prompted him to find out as much as possible about this disease. In Pursuit of Memory reads a little like a detective novel, the author traveling to all kinds of places to New Guinea, Japan, India, China, Iceland and Columbia. You learn about the brave patients and families who were willing to talk with him about their familial ties with the disease, in many cases people facing certain diagnosis because of their ancestral markers. Basically, this is a hopeful book, and the reader will find out about the many investigations ongoing to find a cure. You have to marvel at the science going on as we live now, and at the author, ever-hopeful, that within 10 years we may have a cure.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jebelli does an excellent job of summarizing the history, the research, the physiology, etc. of that elusive disease called Alzheimer's. In the studies, Alzheimer's is not actually considered a disease but a process. Every brain ages, every brain shows some of the "components" believed to be associated with Alzheimers- dying brain cells, plaques, tangles. Why do some brains progress to dementia; others showing the same components do not.

The brain is the most complicated part of our bodies. Scientists search and search for just how to all the pieces fit together - work together - or fail. Jebelli points out that there are and can be many paths to uncovering the causes of Alzheimers. The roles of all the brain parts, the purpose of all the known elements - plaque, tangles- of Alzheimer's - must be defined and ordered.

There is much in this book to comprehend; much beyond the understanding of a lay person merely seeking some understanding of Alzheimers and hoping before they reach the age of concern that there will be a cure. First, there has to be a cause.

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review is a little biased, since it took me months to finish this book after many “read for an hour, put it down for three weeks” cycles.

This book did what any good medical science book does: it put me in awe of the scientific process and it’s heroes; made me acutely aware of science’s scope, strengths, and weaknesses; and reignited my ever-deepening desire to join the ranks of those who contribute. I loved the book’s focus on research, citing actual studies, methods, proteins, and genes. I also appreciated the diversity of studies that were mentioned, ranging from clinical trials, to drug development, population studies, and lifestyle adjustments. The organization was a little hard to follow (again, probably because I went so long between periods of reading, and probably because of the sheer mass of ideas that are mentioned), but the author himself acknowledges that in the Coda chapter.

Overall, it was a solid read, and it’s something I’ll definitely need to read again to appreciate.