The Nostalgia Factory

With the exception of some texts directed to patients and families, Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Patho-physiology — Diagnosis — Treatment represents the first dedicated on normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition that the authors find important due to its similarities in presentation to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. The authors assert that a full textbook dedicated to differential diagnosis and treatment of NPH is imperative due to the viable treatment options that exist. The authors have significant experience with NPH: Most are specialized clinicians who have treated patients with this diagnosis and all have taught courses on NPH in conjunction with the Aesculap Academy since 2009. Also, they are affiliated with a developer and engineer of neu-rosurgical products, Cristoph Miethke, who is a contributor to the text and dedicates a few pages to his proGAV and proSA valves. Much of the first half of the book focuses on introducing medical professionals to NPH. The authors include brief summaries of peer-reviewed publications involving participants with NPH, discuss the classical clinical presentation of the disorder, and comment on differential diagnosis. They dedicate two chapters to the diagnostic process itself, including both non-invasive and invasive components. This section concludes with a full-page, colored diagnostic decision tree that guides readers through steps from suspected NPH to shunt placement. Some of the discussion that follows about shunt mechanics may be tedious for readers with less familiarity with physics, but colored schematics accompany the text and illustrate the basic principles to consider in shunt placement. The closing chapters address shunt complications and serve as a key resource for troubleshooting clinical issues. Overall, the text is recommended as a reference for medical professionals interested in the differential diagnosis of NPH and for those considering specializing in this disorder. Physicians will gain the most from the introductory and concluding chapters. With a style that is informative without being overwhelmingly scientific, The Nostalgia Factory provides an enlightening view into the aging mind, and reassuring knowledge to those who feel that their minds are not what they once were. Douwe Draasima takes a multidisciplinary approach to examining the changes to memory that occur with age. In each chapter, he discusses a different aspect of aging and memory, from the complaints of the elderly mind, to the tricks and games sold to appease a fear of dementia, and to the reminiscences most likely to be encoded and replayed. His brief descriptions …