What type of doctor is best for dementia patients? In general, your best choice is a superspecialist, such as a geriatric psychiatrist, a geriatrician with a special interest in dementia, or a behavioral neurologist. How
What type of doctor is best for dementia patients?
In general, your best choice is a superspecialist, such as a geriatric psychiatrist, a geriatrician with a special interest in dementia, or a behavioral neurologist.
How do I find a dementia specialist?
Your local Alzheimer’s Association can provide a list of Alzheimer’s and other dementia specialists in your area. Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (ADCs), funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), offer diagnosis and treatment services and are located across the country.
What does a dementia specialist do?
The specialist may work in a memory clinic with other professionals who are experts in diagnosing, caring for, and advising people with dementia, and their families.
Do people with dementia remember their caregivers?
In the later stages of the disease, a person with Alzheimer’s may not remember familiar people, places or things. Situations involving memory loss and confusion are extremely difficult for caregivers and families, and require much patience and understanding.
What can a neurologist do for a dementia patient?
A neurologist specializes in diagnosing and treating disorders that affect the brain, spinal cord and nerves. They are trained to detect the signs of dementia, which may include: Memory problems, including an inability to recognize familiar people or recall recent events. Increased confusion and disorientation.
What questions are asked in a dementia test?
The MMSE includes questions that measure:
- Sense of date and time.
- Sense of location.
- Ability to remember a short list of common objects and later, repeat it back.
- Attention and ability to do basic math, like counting backward from 100 by increments of 7.
- Ability to name a couple of common objects.
Can dementia be seen on an MRI?
CT and MRI scans, which reveal the anatomic structure of the brain, are used to rule out such problems as tumor, hemorrhage, stroke, and hydrocephalus, which can masquerade as Alzheimer’s disease. These scans can also show the loss of brain mass associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.