Book excerpt: Dementia and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s are becoming an increasingly important cause of medical and social concern due to the growth in the ageing population. Mechanisms and Metal Involvement in Neurodegenerative Diseases delivers in one volume a streamlined source of information on each of the main neurodegenerative diseases including mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Freiderich's ataxia, prion disease, multiple sclerosis and alcoholic brain damage. Each chapter is structured to give the definition of disease, proteins involved with structure of normal protein and abnormal proteins, pathology associated with the abnormal proteins, oxidative stress and inflammation, iron homeostatic mechanisms, primary neurotransmitter involved, other metal involvement and therapeutic strategies. Structures of the adherent protein involved in the disease process are also presented with emphasis on the chemical structures used in the treatment of each neurodegenerative disease together with their biochemical mode of action. Written by acknowledged experts in their respective areas this new book provides readers with readily accessible information on each of the neurodegenerative diseases.