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Small brain abnormalities in specific regions are key hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Don’t see what you need? Contact us today. Alzheimer's DONATE Learn its history and what Alzheimer's research has discovered so far. Also, consider investigating an Alzheimer's clinical trial here . Minor abnormalities, so-called amyloid plaques, and tau tangles that form in the brain and are found in specific locations throughout are two distinguishing hallmarks of Alzheimer's Disease Dementia. Advanced testing, such as PET scans, MRI, DNA, and spinal fluid analysis, can shed invaluable light on the probability of Alzheimer's. Alois Alzheimer was a German psychiatrist who discovered the pathological condition of Dementia and diagnosed the disease that bears his name. Alois was born in Marktbreit, Germany, in 1864 and showed an early aptitude for science. After obtaining his medical degree, he worked in hospitals in Frankfurt, where he met Auguste Deter, a 51-year-old woman suffering from progressive short-term memory loss. He was eventually able to isolate the pathological causes of severe Dementia, work so extensive that the condition became known as Alzheimer's disease. Source: click here . Today, it is believed that "Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of Dementia among older people. Dementia is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. AD begins slowly . It first involves the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. People with AD may have trouble remembering recent events or the names of people they know. A related problem, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), causes more memory problems than usual for people of the same age. Many, but not all, people with MCI will develop AD. In AD, symptoms get worse over time . People may not recognize family members or have trouble speaking, reading, or writing. They may forget how to brush their teeth or comb their hair. Later, they may become anxious or aggressive or wander away from home. Eventually, they need total care, which can cause great stress for family members who must care for them. AD usually begins after age 60 . The risk goes up as you get older. Your risk is also higher if a family member has had the disease. No treatment can stop the disease. However, some drugs may help keep symptoms from worsening for a limited time." Source: click here . You may also be interested to r ead about the IDEA Study and how the results suggested that about a third of those diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in the past, now, due to recent advancements in imaging , were found not to have Alzheimer's disease. Yes, they may have had significant cognitive impairments, but their cause was not necessarily Alzheimer's disease, and the treatment plan was altered accordingly. Source: click here . Lastly, a well-known study of nuns, lasting decades, has indicated that some individuals can live cognitively intact, showing no signs or clues to significant degenerative changes, despite having the hallmarks of a Dementia pathology seen at their autopsy. Source: click here . Click below on the various terms to learn more about both common and more rare conditions, syndromes and diseases, that can cause, or include symptoms leading to Dementia: Dementia-Like Conditions (that may be reversible); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease (AD or ALZ) Dementia; Mixed Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Young Onset Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia (LBD); Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC); Huntington's Disease with Dementia; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Dementia; Parkinson's Disease (PD) with Dementia; Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTE) Dementia; Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Dementia; Down Syndrome with Dementia; Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA); Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) Dementia; Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE);*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Dementia; Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); CADASIL;*** Sanfilippo Syndrome*** Batten Disease (Childhood Dementia);*** Binswanger Disease.*** Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)*** Various Childhood Dementias*** Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy*** Don't see what you're looking for? Please contact us. *** Takes you to a non-DSA website. Go back to Definitions | Click Here

Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L, CDP is an occupational therapist and the founder and owner of Day By Day Home Therapy. Advisory Council ◄ Back to Members | Rachel Wiley MS OTR L CDP Advisory Council Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L, CDP is an occupational therapist and the founder and owner of Day By Day Home Therapy . Rachel has been adjunct faculty in the occupational therapy departments at Thomas Jefferson University and Temple University. She also worked previously as the occupational therapist and Dementia Service Coordinator for the Pew Charitable Trust Grant with Jefferson Elder Care. Rachel is certified in Skills2Care® for caregivers of individuals with dementia and LSVT BIG for Parkinson's Disease. Rachel is also has an older adult NBCOT practice area of emphasis. She is a certified master trainer of Skills2Care® through Jefferson Elder Care and trains occupational therapists from around the country in the Skills2Care® program. She had the privilege of presenting at the Alzheimer's Association conferences in Pennsylvania and Delaware and was featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article in 2017. Rachel attended Penn State University for her Bachelor's in Rehabilitation and Human Services and minor in Psychology and attended Thomas Jefferson University for her Master's in Occupational Therapy. She served as the Gerontology Chair for the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association's District V Board. Rachel has been working with individuals with dementia for over 10 years.

People with PSP may develop eye movement problems (supranuclear palsy), a wide-eyed appearance, and difficulty swallowing. To learn more, contact us. Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) are Parkinson's-plus syndromes, meaning that they are diseases that share some of the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease, such as slowing of movements, stiffness, tremors, falls, and shuffling of the feet. They may both also cause changes in memory and thinking. People with PSP also develop problems moving their eyes, called supranuclear palsy, a wide-eyed appearance, and difficulty swallowing. Unlike Parkinson's disease, people often fall backward instead of forward. They may also develop severe stiffness in the neck. There are several variations in the name of CBD, such as corticobasal syndrome or disease and corticobasal ganglionic degeneration. It is named after the damaged parts of the brain: the cortex (the outer part of the brain) and the basal ganglia (deep within the brain). Like Parkinson's disease, movement slowing, stiffness, tremors, falls, and shuffling of the feet are seen. Movement problems occur on one side of the body, such as stiffness, shaking, or loss of control. People with CBD may be unable to get their arms to do what they want, even if they know how. Sometimes, the arm on that side might move independently, which is called alien limb syndrome. For more information from the source: click here . Click below on the various terms to learn more about both common and more rare conditions, syndromes and diseases, that can cause, or include symptoms leading to Dementia: Dementia-Like Conditions (that may be reversible); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease (AD or ALZ) Dementia; Mixed Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Young Onset Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia (LBD); Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC); Huntington's Disease with Dementia; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Dementia; Parkinson's Disease (PD) with Dementia; Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTE) Dementia; Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Dementia; Down Syndrome with Dementia; Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA); Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) Dementia; Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE);*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Dementia; Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); CADASIL;*** Sanfilippo Syndrome*** Batten Disease (Childhood Dementia);*** Binswanger Disease.*** Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)*** Various Childhood Dementias*** Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy*** Don't see what you're looking for? Please contact us. *** Takes you to a non-DSA website. Go back to Definitions | Click Here

Lilly Roth is a paralegal with Antheil, Maslow & MacMinn, LLP, specializing in corporate governance, nonprofit compliance, and real estate law. Board Member ◄ Back to Members | Lilly Roth Board Member Volunteer | Board Member & Secretary Lilly Roth is a paralegal with Antheil, Maslow & MacMinn, LLP, specializing in corporate governance, nonprofit compliance, and real estate law.

Helping families facing Alzheimer's disease, Vascular Dementia, Lewy Body, FTD, MCI, and more through education, research, and life enrichment. Dementia Society of America Dementia Awareness It's more than a ribbon ... Although a simple purple ribbon on your jacket or a sticker on your car is important and meaningful, Dementia awareness can take many forms. It can also be as basic as learning what Dementia is and isn't, and properly sharing that accurate knowledge with others (we hope that you'll read our definitions pages for more insight). Another form is something forward-thinkers from around the world have coined as, "Dementia-friendly" communities. In addition to the Dementia Society of America® (DSA), there are two associated coalitions leading the national effort: Dementia Friendly America® (DFA), and Dementia Friends USA™. Want to join our efforts to support the development of Dementia Friendly American communities around the country? Contact us at 1-800-DEMENTIA.

Dementia-like symptoms can result from fever or other side effects of your body's attempt to fight off an infection. Learn more about rare conditions. Dementia-Like "Some causes of Dementia or Dementia-like symptoms can be reversed. Your doctor may identify and treat these causes: Infections and immune disorders. Dementia-like symptoms can result from fever or other side effects of your body's attempt to fight off an infection. People may develop thinking difficulties if they have infections like a urinary tract infection (UTI), meningitis and encephalitis, untreated syphilis, Lyme disease, or conditions that cause a completely compromised immune system, such as leukemia. Here is an excellent document on Urinary Tract Infections and delirium from our friends in the UK. Click here to read/download . Metabolic problems and endocrine abnormalities. People with thyroid problems, too little blood sugar (hypoglycemia), too low or too high sodium or calcium levels, or an impaired ability to absorb vitamin B-12 may develop Dementia-like symptoms or other personality changes. Nutritional deficiencies. Dementia-like symptoms can occur as a result of not drinking enough liquids (dehydration); not having enough thiamin (vitamin B-1), a condition common in people with chronic alcoholism; and not having enough vitamins B-6 and B-12 in your diet. Reactions to medications. Dementia-like symptoms may occur as a reaction to a single medication or because of an interaction of several medications. Subdural hematomas. Subdural hematomas are caused by bleeding between the surface of the brain and the covering over the brain. They can cause symptoms similar to Dementia. Poisoning. Dementia-like symptoms can occur as a result of exposure to heavy metals, such as lead, and other poisons, such as pesticides. Dementia-like symptoms may also occur in some people who have abused alcohol or recreational drugs [See also Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) ]. Symptoms may disappear after treatment, but in some cases they may persist. Brain tumors. Dementia can rarely result from damage caused by a brain tumor. Anoxia. This condition, also called hypoxia, occurs when tissues in organs don't receive enough oxygen. Anoxia may occur due to severe asthma, heart attack, carbon monoxide poisoning, or other causes. If you've experienced a severe lack of oxygen, recovery may take longer. Symptoms, such as memory problems or confusion, may occur during recovery. Normal-pressure hydrocephalus. Sometimes people have a condition caused by enlarged ventricles in the brain (normal-pressure hydrocephalus). This condition can cause walking problems, urinary difficulty, and memory loss. Shunt surgery, which delivers cerebrospinal fluid from the head to the abdomen or heart, may help these symptoms." Source: click here . Chemo Brain. Mental cloudiness or changes ... notice[d] before, during, and after cancer treatment. This cloudiness or change in mental state is commonly referred to as chemo brain. Doctors and researchers may call chemo brain many things, such as cancer treatment-related cognitive impairment, cancer-related cognitive change, or post-chemotherapy cognitive impairment." Source: click here . Click below on the various terms to learn more about both common and more rare conditions, syndromes and diseases, that can cause, or include symptoms leading to Dementia: Dementia-Like Conditions (that may be reversible); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease (AD or ALZ) Dementia; Mixed Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Young Onset Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia (LBD); Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC); Huntington's Disease with Dementia; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Dementia; Parkinson's Disease (PD) with Dementia; Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTE) Dementia; Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Dementia; Down Syndrome with Dementia; Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA); Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) Dementia; Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE);*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Dementia; Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); CADASIL;*** Sanfilippo Syndrome*** Batten Disease (Childhood Dementia);*** Binswanger Disease.*** Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)*** Various Childhood Dementias*** Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy*** Don't see what you're looking for? Please contact us. *** Takes you to a non-DSA website. Go back to Definitions | Click Here

A person who has experienced a single traumatic head injury could develop posttraumatic Dementia, which may cause long-term memory problems. To learn more. TBI "A person who has experienced a single traumatic head injury [Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)] could develop a condition called posttraumatic Dementia, which may cause symptoms such as long-term memory problems. Depending on the part of the brain that's injured, this condition can cause Dementia signs and symptoms such as uncoordinated movement and impaired speech, as well as slow movement, tremors, and rigidity (Parkinsonism). Symptoms may not appear until many years after the actual trauma." Source: click here . Additional Resource List Click below on the various terms to learn more about both common and more rare conditions, syndromes and diseases, that can cause, or include symptoms leading to Dementia: Dementia-Like Conditions (that may be reversible); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease (AD or ALZ) Dementia; Mixed Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Young Onset Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia (LBD); Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC); Huntington's Disease with Dementia; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Dementia; Parkinson's Disease (PD) with Dementia; Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTE) Dementia; Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Dementia; Down Syndrome with Dementia; Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA); Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) Dementia; Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE);*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Dementia; Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); CADASIL;*** Sanfilippo Syndrome*** Batten Disease (Childhood Dementia);*** Binswanger Disease.*** Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)*** Various Childhood Dementias*** Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy*** Don't see what you're looking for? Please contact us. *** Takes you to a non-DSA website. Go back to Definitions | Click Here

Vascular Dementia is caused by a series of small strokes and is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's in people 65+. To learn more. Vascular DONATE "Multi-infarct Dementia [also commonly referred to as 'Vascular Dementia'] is caused by a series of small strokes. Multi-infarct Dementia (MID) is the second most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease in people over age 65. MID usually affects people between the ages of 55 and 75. More men than women have MID. A stroke is an interruption in or blockage of the blood supply to any part of the brain . A stroke is also called an infarct. Multi-infarct means that more than one area in the brain has been injured due to a lack of blood. The brain cannot get oxygen if blood flow is stopped for longer than a few seconds. Brain cells can die, causing permanent damage. There may be no stroke symptoms when these strokes affect a small area . These are called silent strokes. Over time, as more areas of the brain are damaged, the symptoms of MID appear. Not all strokes are silent. Larger strokes that affect strength, sensation, or other brain and nervous system (neurologic) functions can also lead to MID. Risk factors for MID include diabetes, hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), high blood pressure (hypertension), smoking, and stroke." Lastly, White Matter Disease (WMD) is a Dementia subtype within the context of cardiovascular conditions that may produce changes in cognition similar to those seen in Vascular Dementia. An MRI scan is typically employed to help identify and distinguish the disorder. Vascular Dementia Source: click here . White Matter Disease Resource: click here . Resource: U.S. government website on vascular/Dementia risks. Video: University of California, Los Angeles Video When stroke becomes Dementia | Dr Amy Brodtmann: The Florey, Parkville, Victoria, Australia Click below on the various terms to learn more about both common and more rare conditions, syndromes and diseases, that can cause, or include symptoms leading to Dementia: Dementia-Like Conditions (that may be reversible); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease (AD or ALZ) Dementia; Mixed Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Young Onset Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia (LBD); Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC); Huntington's Disease with Dementia; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Dementia; Parkinson's Disease (PD) with Dementia; Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTE) Dementia; Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Dementia; Down Syndrome with Dementia; Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA); Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) Dementia; Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE);*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Dementia; Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); CADASIL;*** Sanfilippo Syndrome*** Batten Disease (Childhood Dementia);*** Binswanger Disease.*** Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)*** Various Childhood Dementias*** Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy*** Don't see what you're looking for? Please contact us. *** Takes you to a non-DSA website. Go back to Definitions | Click Here

Jeff Moyers is Vice President and Senior Relationship Strategist at PNC Wealth Management, in Princeton, NJ. Board Member ◄ Back to Members | Jeff Moyers CFP Board Member Volunteer | Board Member, Treasurer M. Jeffrey Moyers is Investment Manager at Roffman Miller Associates Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

Explore educational resources on dementia, brain health, and the causes of cognitive impairments like Alzheimer’s and other related conditions.

Young-Onset or "Early-Onset" runs in families linked to three genes that differ from the APOE gene which can increase your risk of Alzheimer's in general. Young-Onset Young-Onset is often also referred to as "Early-Onset." Yet, it should be differentiated from another commonly used phrase: "Early Stage Dementia," which is more appropriate to describe someone in the early stages of Dementia, at any age. "Young-Onset Dementia is conventionally thought to include patients with onset before 65 years of age . This cutoff point is indicative of a sociological partition in terms of employment and retirement age, but this age has no specific biological significance and there is a range of disease features across this arbitrary divide." Source: click here . "Some people with early-onset Alzheimer's [Dementia] have the common form of the disease, and experts don't know why these people get the disease at a younger age than others do. For most, however, early-onset Alzheimer's runs in the family. They're likely to have a parent or grandparent who also developed Alzheimer's at a younger age. Early-onset Alzheimer's that runs in families is linked to three genes that differ from the APOE gene that can increase your risk of Alzheimer's in general. The genetic path of inheritance is much stronger in early-onset Alzheimer's. If you have a genetic mutation in one of those three genes — the APP, PSEN 1, or PSEN 2 — you may develop Alzheimer's before age 65." Source: click here . Click below on the various terms to learn more about both common and more rare conditions, syndromes and diseases, that can cause, or include symptoms leading to Dementia: Dementia-Like Conditions (that may be reversible); Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI); Alzheimer's Disease (AD or ALZ) Dementia; Mixed Dementia; Vascular Dementia; Young Onset Dementia; Lewy Body Dementia (LBD); Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD); AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC); Huntington's Disease with Dementia; Multiple Sclerosis (MS) with Dementia; Parkinson's Disease (PD) with Dementia; Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTE) Dementia; Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Dementia; Down Syndrome with Dementia; Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA); Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA); Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) Dementia; Limbic-predominant Age-related TDP-43 Encephalopathy (LATE);*** Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Dementia; Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD); Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP); CADASIL;*** Sanfilippo Syndrome*** Batten Disease (Childhood Dementia);*** Binswanger Disease.*** Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)*** Various Childhood Dementias*** Adult-Onset Leukoencephalopathy*** Don't see what you're looking for? Please contact us. *** Takes you to a non-DSA website. Go back to Definitions | Click Here

Dr. Fossel, president of Telocyte, is advancing FDA-sponsored human trials using telomerase therapy to target and potentially reverse Alzheimer’s disease. Advisory Council ◄ Back to Members | Michael Fossel MD PhD Advisor Council Dr. Fossel is president of Telocyte , a biotech firm targeting Alzheimer’s disease, intending to begin FDA-sponsored human trials aimed at curing the underlying disease process using telomerase therapy. His latest book, The Telomerase Revolution, discusses prospective FDA clinical trials of telomerase therapy as an effective intervention for Alzheimer’s disease. His book was lauded in both The London Times and the Wall Street Journal (as one of the five best science books of 2015). Born in 1950, Michael Fossel grew up New York, and lived in London, Palo Alto, San Francisco, Portland, and Denver. He graduated cum laude from Phillips Exeter Academy, received a joint BA and MA in psychology in four years from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, and, after completing a PhD in Neurobiology at Stanford University in 1978, went on to finish his MD at Stanford Medical School in two and a half years. He was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship and taught neuroanatomy and other courses at Stanford University, where he began studying aging, emphasizing premature aging syndromes. Dr. Fossel was a Clinical Professor of Medicine at Michigan State University for almost three decades and currently teaches the Biology of Aging at Grand Valley State University. He has been a member of numerous scientific organizations including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Aging Association (he was their Executive Director and served on their board of directors), the American Gerontological Society, the American Society on Aging, the American Geriatrics Society, and the Alzheimer’s Association ISTAART, among others. He has lectured at NIH and the Smithsonian Institute, and still lectures internationally. He was founding editor of the Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine (now the Rejuvenation Research). His numerous articles on aging and ethics in the Journal of the American Medical Association, In Vivo, and other academic journals have sparked frequent calls for him to speak worldwide to both medical groups and the general public. He featured prominently at IdeaCity in Toronto in June of 2014 and been interviewed by Singularity 1-on-1 regarding Alzheimer’s therapy. In 1996, Dr. Fossel published Reversing Human Aging, the first book to describe how aging works, how to reverse it, and the consequences of doing so. The book was reviewed favorably in national full page newspaper articles and in Scientific American. It has now been published in six languages. He has appeared on Good Morning America, ABC 20/20, NBC Extra, Fox Network, CNN, the BBC, the Discovery Channel, and regularly on NPR. This was the first book to ever describe the medical aspects of extending human telomeres, reversing aging, and curing age-related disease. His academic textbook, Cells, Aging, and Human Disease, was published in 2004 by Oxford University Press. An extensive look at the field, with well over four thousand references, it reviews the entire fields of telomere biology and cell senescence as they apply to human clinical diseases and aging. Still the only medical textbook on the clinical potential of telomerase, it includes in depth discussions of Alzheimer’s disease, the progerias, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, immune senescence, skin aging, and cancer, as well as the potential for fundamentally new therapies for these diseases using telomerase therapy. His most recent book, The Telomerase Revolution, had a laudatory, full-page article and review in The London Times and the Wall Street Journal named it as one of the year’s best science books. It gives a clear explanation of how aging and age-related diseases work, and why we believe that we can now intervene in a novel and far more effective way. www.telocyte.com