While it is not yet possible for us to cure Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's dementias, Director Carol F. Lippa, M.D., leads the Clinical Memory and Cognitive Disorders Program at DUCOM as a multidisciplinary program. The patient assessment program has increasing involvement from the departments of Neurology, Psychiatry (Neuropsychology) and Geriatrics, to provide comprehensive evaluations and maximal intervention, including interventions that impact overall health, cognition and behavior. Dr. Lippa has over 20 years of experience in the evaluation and treatment of patients with memory disorders including mild memory loss, Alzheimer's disease, Pick’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and other types of cognitive impairment.

The DUCOM Memory and Cognitive Disorders Program offers evaluation of patients with suspected or definite problems with thinking and reasoning. We address five questions:

• Is there a decline in thinking that is greater than that expected for age?
• What is the diagnosis? For example, is it Alzheimer's disease?
• What practical assistance is available? This may include medications to improve cognition and behavior, or strategies to help manage problems.
• Are there caregiver issues to address?
• Are there research options available?

At the initial visit, patients will receive a general physical examination, neurological examination, and mental status testing. If not done prior to assessment, specialized laboratory tests to better characterize the problem and to look for reversible causes of memory loss may be recommended.

These include:

• PET or SPECT scanning
• MRI or CT scans of the brain
• Diagnostic CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) studies
• Neuropsychological assessment
• Electroencephalography
• Cerebrovascular studies
• Genetic testing or other blood testing

At the end of the assessment, we will discuss options for treatment, including enrollment in drug studies, treatment of behavioral symptoms (such as aggressive behavior, depression, insomnia, incontinence and wandering). The amount of follow-up depends upon the wishes of the patient, family and referring physician. Some just wish a one-time evaluation. Many patients are reevaluated at 3 month intervals when medication changes are recommended. Others are followed every 6-12 months because new problems arise as these diseases progress.