Successful Cognitive and Emotional Aging »

Colin A. Depp, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Faculty Member of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, San Diego and Instructor in the Department of Gerontology at San Diego State University in San Diego, California.

Dilip V. Jeste, M.D., is Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging, Director of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla, California.

The critical importance of brain health to the well-being of older adults is becoming increasingly clear. However, an important aspect that interests most people relates to what clinicians and their adult patients and family members can do to retain and even improve cognitive and emotional functioning as they age. Successful Cognitive and Emotional Aging thoroughly discusses the neuroscience of healthy aging and presents effective strategies for staying lively, engaged, and positive.

The book is organized into three parts. The first one, focusing on behavioral and psychosocial aspects, strives to place cognitive aging in a broad context. With chapters that explore such topics as the meaning of wisdom, the role of spirituality in healthy aging, and what centenarians can teach us about cognition and emotion, this section sets the stage for a rich, robust, yet nuanced treatment of its subject. The second part addresses the biological aspects and presents the scientific foundations of cognitive aging, as well as reviews the research on the role of factors such as stress, resilience, and diet. Finally, the third section addresses prevention and intervention strategies in a practical, down-to-earth fashion, addressing questions such as “What environments encourage physical activity?” and “How can we promote resilience?”

Several features of the book are especially noteworthy:

• The book bridges the gap between popular science for a lay audience and the heavily theoretical, academic approach of other books on the aging brain, making it suitable not only for clinicians but for their patients and family members as well.
• The fascinating story of an innovative intergenerational school makes the case for meaningful activity—not just for the older participants but for the entire community—and is suggestive of the plethora of possible programs that might prove effective at keeping the older population engaged and contributing.
• Results from a 70-year longitudinal study are extensively reviewed and identify the coping strategies that seem to bring about well-being in older age.
• The most promising strategies for successful aging, applicable to a large majority of the population, are summarized by the editors so that clinicians as well as consumers of healthcare may implement them as they see fit.

As the baby boomers reach what used to be considered “old age,” the demand for evidence-based strategies for retaining and improving cognition will only increase. Fortunately, as the editors note, it is never too early or too late to start working toward the goal of improving brain health.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Michael Joel Schrift, D.O., M.A.(University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine)
Description:This superb book on the recent developments in the science of cognition and aging focuses on both successful and pathological aging. The book is written and edited by a first-rate team of internationally recognized authorities in the fields of cognition and aging.
Purpose:The aim of this book, according to the editors, "is to provide an overview of the state of in the biological, psychological, and social aspects of cognition and emotional health." Indeed, the editors have gathered wonderful chapters from aging and cognition experts to provide an indication of the status of this rapidly developing field.
Audience:A wide range of audiences would be interested in this book, from researchers and clinicians to the lay public.
Features:Part 1 of the book's three parts focuses on the behavioral and psychosocial aspects of aging, with interesting chapters on defining and assessing cognition and emotion, cognitive aging, and the influence of positive emotions and spirituality. Part 2 concentrates on biology, with fascinating chapters on neuroimaging, the concept of cognitive reserve, and the effects of stress, diet, and molecular genetics on cognition and aging. Animal models are covered as well. The third section summarizes the research on the effect of diet and physical activity on cognitive aging as well as pharmacological approaches and cognitive interventions. The book ends with a list of helpful strategies to aim for successful cognitive aging. Each chapter concludes with timely and pertinent citations from the scientific literature.
Assessment:This is a terrific overview of cognitive aging research. Anyone interested in this pertinent and increasingly important subject should purchase this new book. It is an outstanding resource.

Phenotypes of successful aging: historical overview. Part I: Behavioral and Psychosocial Aspects. Defining and assessing cognitive and emotional health in later life. Cognitive aging: from basic skills to scripts and schemata. Positive emotions and health: what we know about aging. The role of spirituality in healthy aging. Wisdom: definition, assessment, and its relation to successful cognitive and emotional aging. Cognition and emotion in centenarians. Part II: Biological Aspects. Neuroimaging of successful cognitive and emotional aging. Cognitive and brain reserve. Stress, resilience, and the aging brain. Influence of dietary factors on brain aging and the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. Molecular genetic building blocks of successful cognitive and emotional aging. Animal models of successful cognitive aging. Part III: Prevention and Intervention Strategies. Creating environments to encourage physical activity. Diet, nutritional factors, and the aging brain. Pharmacological approaches to successful cognitive and emotional aging. Cognitive interventions: traditional and novel approaches. Aging, cognition, and technology. Recognizing and promoting resilience. Gaining wisdom through multiage learning: the story of the Intergenerational School. Epilogue. Index.