Preface

The science of changes in metabolism, gene expression, tissue function, and organ physiology as humans age has been expanding exponentially since the 1980s when a clinical specialty was created by the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. Although often used interchangeably, gerontology is considered to stress the psychological, functional, and social problems facing elders, while geriatrics is considered to focus on the physiologic, metabolic, tissue, and organ processes that result in medical problems. Both fields are concerned with quality of life as individuals reach the decades of life between 60 years of age and death.

This volume is a collection of reports organized into three sections. The first section is an introduction to the evolution of knowledge considered to be inclusive in the clinical specialty of geriatrics. It also includes an example of an important area of gerontology, that of identity changes in the aging woman. The second section is devoted to cutting-edge issues in diagnosing and managing dementia. This is the largest section in this book and concludes with a chapter on the future treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Finally, a third section deals with newer developments in geriatrics and covers hearing loss and acute and chronic lymphoproliferative diseases. The section concludes with a very important chapter on the use of electrical stimulation of nerves and muscles to reduce morbidity in a variety of neurologic degenerative diseases that occur in the elderly.

I have been involved in the care of the elderly for more than forty-five years. The chapters in this book present a short survey of the transformation of the field that has occurred over this time. I thank all the contributors who give this book a worldwide perspective. All reports dealing with elders and their medical, psychological, and social problems are more important than ever as we are in the middle of the wave of baby boomers who have passed the age of 60 years.

**II**

**Section 3**

in Stroke

*and Giédre Berretin-Felix*

Genetics and Acquired Hearing Loss

*by Moza Al-Kowari and Meritxell Espino-Guarch*

Overview and Current News in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia *by Martha Alvarado Ibarra and Jose Antonio De La Peña Celaya*

*by Natália Moya Rodrigues Pereira and Marcos Eduardo Scheicher*

*by Cláudia Tiemi Mituuti, Marcela Maria Alves da Silva* 

Postural Imbalance in the Elderly: Main Aspects

Newer Developments in Geriatrics **111**

**Chapter 7 113**

**Chapter 8 135**

**Chapter 9 161**

**Chapter 10 175**

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Electromyographic Biofeedback as Adjunctive Modalities in the Treatment of Oropharyngeal Dysphagia

> **Edward T. Zawada Jr.** University of South Dakota, United States of America

**1**

Section 1

Geriatrics as a Specialty

Section 1
