Introduction

Introduction Since age is the primary risk factor for developing dementia, and because there is an ever increasing number of people who are age 65 or older in the population, clinical neuropsychologists will be expected to diagnose mild cognitive impairment and dementia in ever increasing numbers and with greater accuracy in the future. Although biomarkers and other laboratory methods of identifying specific diseases may become more common over time, neuropsychological assessment will always have its place in identifying the cognitive signatures of the various diseases and their progression. Further, beyond the role of neuropsychological assessment in distinguishing among normal aging, psychological disorders, mild neurocognitive impairment, and the dementias, as well as how different disease states and affected brain regions present upon assessment, neuropsychologists are working on methods of documenting the socio-emotional and functional activities of daily living changes wrought by these diseases and interventions to assist patients and families in dealing with their effects.

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology is committed to publishing cutting-edge research into the breadth of issues in aging and dementia ranging from psychometric detection of these cognitive disorders to development of interventions designed to reduce disease burden for patients and families. This virtual issue is intended to highlight recent relevant studies published in Archives that focus on our ever-improving ability to detect, measure, and distinguish between these cognitive disorders as well as two articles examining intervention in Alzheimer’s disease. Gregory P. Lee Editor-in-Chief

Virtual articles topics included in the issue: • • • • •

How to distinguish between normal aging, MCI, and dementia – early detection Dementia subtypes and etiologies Non-Alzheimer’s dementias (VaD, FTD, DLB) Assessment of social-emotional dysfunction, ADLs, and functional status Intervention in dementia