The up-to-date version of an acclaimed book in the field of dementia

Dementia, 5th edition. Ames D, O’Brien JT, Burns A, editors. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group; 2017 ($334.00; 914 pp). ISBN 9781498703109

The fifth edition of Dementia has very big shoes to fill. Its previous version was the winner of the British Medical Association 2011 book award in the psychiatry category, and the winner of the Australasian Journal on Ageing book of the year award, and as such was rightly recognised as a benchmark in the field of geriatric psychiatry. The fifth edition is once again edited by David Ames (Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne), John O’Brien (Foundation Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge) and Alistair Burns (Professor of Old Age Psychiatry at the University of Manchester), who are well known experts in the field. The team of authors assembled reads like a who’s who in dementia research from around the world.

This edition maintains the format that made the book a very popular choice for clinicians working in the field of dementia, or for those who simply wish to brush up on their knowledge of the topic. The breadth of topics covered here is a tour de force. Most chapters have been updated, reflecting the dynamics in the field and the rapid evolution of knowledge about dementia, its clinical presentations, aetiologies, diagnosis and management. The rapid pace of change and increasing understanding of these disorders is also reflected in the length of this volume, which now stands at over 900 pages — an increase of approximately 10% from its previous edition.

Arguably, the flavour of the book remains unashamedly clinical. The genetic, mechanistic and pathological components of dementia are not forgotten but take a back seat, leaving centre stage to the clinical aspects of these diseases. Most chapters are relevant to Australian clinicians, including those discussing the health economics of dementia and the global nature of this disease. With that in mind, however, a stronger presence and contributions from low income and non-Western countries would have made this volume truly international. This shortcoming notwithstanding, most readers will find that Dementia, 5th edition represents an excellent reference and is money well spent.