Dementia describes a wide array of symptoms that may affect not only memory and thinking, but also other cognitive and social abilities.
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than five million Americans and 50 million people worldwide. Other types of dementia include vascular dementia, Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration.
Although there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, the burden of the disease reinforces the need for early detection and interventions to support people with Alzheimer’s, their families, and their caregivers. The neurosciences team at the Northwest Neurology Memory Clinic is dedicated to providing comprehensive, individualized, and patient-centered services to detect dementia early, preserve quality of life, and maintain as much independence as possible for as long as possible.
After a complete medical history and medication review, a neurologist specially trained in dementia and Alzheimer's disease will perform a dementia workup, including one or more of the following:
While there is currently no cure for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, early detection and treatment may help patients, their families, and their caregivers by giving them more time to:
Current treatment for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease is focused on improving symptoms and attempting to slow disease progression using medications and activities (diet, exercise, and cognitive training). Your Memory Clinic team customizes care plans based on the results of each patient’s evaluation, as well as their overall health, lifestyle, and personal goals.
FDA-approved and commercially available medications are currently being used to treat various forms of dementia. These drugs may increase the presence of certain important chemicals in the brain (such as acetylcholine), and regulate glutamate, which is involved in learning and memory.
Other medications are used to treat symptoms, such as:
Clinical research for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease is made possible through volunteers, trained research staff, and highly qualified physicians. Such trials lead to treatments that help to save lives.
To learn more about the criteria for such research, please contact the Northwest Neurology Research Center
Your Northwest Neurology Memory Clinic team can help you and your loved ones cope with the symptoms through medication and activities (e.g., diet, exercise and cognitive training).