Doctors routinely diagnose and track dementia. “Neuropsychological tests” are non-invasive, using interviews or paper/pen tests. More invasive diagnostics include powerful MRI and PET scans.
Some Alzheimer’s tests cost thousands of dollars, some cost pennies. The trick is using the right tests at the right time for the right person. An excellent scoring system from Mayo Clinic offers a powerful tool for making the best choices.
How do doctors “see” dementia? One way is with brain scans called MRI and fMRI. Doctors also use these scans to help see if it is Alzheimer’s, Vascular, Lewy Body or another type of dementia. An MRI offers a photo of the brain. More amazingly, an fMRI (functional MRI) can give a 3-D video of a living brain. Learn how it works.
Lewy body dementia receives relatively little attention and few research dollars, and often goes undiagnosed. Learn about a kit to do something about it. Watch Mike Belleville share his long journey of misdiagnosis from Alzheimer’s to Lewy body dementia.
Doctors are encouraging people to take advantage of holiday gatherings with relatives to discuss family medical histories. Learn why knowing your family’s medical history can help you avoid repeating past health issues.
This simple eye test has the potential to change the way Alzheimer’s is detected and managed. Find out how this quick, easy-to-use, low cost & accurate technology for non-specialists will vastly improve the standard of care for people with Alzheimer’s.
Statins certainly seem to lower the risk of Alzheimer’s. On the other hand, they can sometimes cause temporary memory loss, which does go away if one stops the statins. Find out what you need to know to strike the right balance.
See how this Alzheimer’s-test from Northwestern University uses celebrity faces to detect dementia. Find out how well it works.
80% of Lewy Body dementia cases are initially misdiagnosed as Alzheimer’s or some other disorder. Until recently, it could take a year or more to correct that. Learn how GE’s “DaTSCAN” scanning technology is quickly changing all that.
Frontotemporal Dementia, FTD, is the most common form of dementia in people under age 60. Why isn’t it better known?
Australian researchers show nanoparticles that contain curcumin, from turmeric, not only prevent cognitive deterioration, but also reverse the damage. Find out more about this exciting development.
Dr. Rudy Tanzi is Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical and Director of McCance Center for Brain Health. Based on 3 decades of his research, learn how CogniSHIELD uniquely protects against amyloid, inflammation and Alzheimer’s.
See Prime Minister Harold Wilson tell Queen Elizabeth he has Alzheimer’s. It’s a deeply human moment between sovereign and statesman, marked by quiet dignity, personal sorrow, and the recognition that even the sharpest minds can’t escape time’s reach.
SHORT-TERM MEMORY lapses are obvious signs of Alzheimer’s, but other tell-tale signals begin to show much earlier. Learn how to look for semantic impairments, such as simple questions about size.
Three important dementia studies focus on HS-AGING, a type of dementia almost as common as Alzheimer’s in the 85+ group. Yet few people have heard of it. Why? What makes it different?
An intriguing study of 120 grandmothers might surprise you. Doctors know socially engaged people have better cognition and less dementia. But can a person get too much of a good thing? What’s the right balance?
Enjoy this great duet between a musician with dementia and his son. A triumph of spirit over Alzheimer’s! Sing-a-long if you like!
No spam, only news and updates.
