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).
