Search this site

30 results for “Alzheimer's treatment”

• Understanding DementiaAlzheimer's diseaseAlzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia. It usually begins with short-term memory difficulty and progresses gradually.
• TreatmentAmyloid-targeting treatmentAnti-amyloid antibodies are the first treatments that address Alzheimer's biology rather than only symptoms.
• Testing & DiagnosisAlzheimer's biomarkersBiomarkers detect the biology of Alzheimer's disease rather than only its symptoms.
• Directory listingAlzheimer's Association — Illinois Chapter24/7 helpline, care consultations, support groups, and education programs for families across Illinois.
• Understanding DementiaMild cognitive impairment (MCI)MCI is a stage between normal aging and dementia: testing shows a change, but the person still manages daily life independently.
• Understanding DementiaVascular dementiaVascular dementia results from strokes or small vessel disease. Slowed thinking and difficulty with planning often stand out more than memory loss.
• Understanding DementiaMixed dementiaMany older adults have more than one cause of dementia at the same time, most commonly Alzheimer's disease plus vascular changes.
• Understanding DementiaLATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy)LATE is an age-related condition that causes memory loss resembling Alzheimer's disease, most often in people over 80.
• TreatmentCan dementia be treated?There is meaningful treatment for dementia, even though most causes cannot yet be cured.
• Understanding DementiaWhat is dementia?Dementia is not one disease. It is a term for a decline in memory, thinking, language, or judgment that is severe enough to interfere with everyday life.
• Understanding DementiaNormal aging vs dementiaSome memory change is expected with age. Dementia is different: it interferes with tasks a person used to handle without help.
• Understanding DementiaLewy body dementiaLewy body dementia combines cognitive change with visual hallucinations, fluctuating alertness, movement changes, and sleep disturbance.
• Understanding DementiaFrontotemporal dementiaFrontotemporal dementia usually begins between ages 45 and 65 with changes in behavior, judgment, or language rather than memory.
• Understanding DementiaParkinson's disease dementiaParkinson's disease dementia develops in some people years after Parkinson's movement symptoms begin.
• Understanding DementiaOther causes of memory problemsSeveral medical, psychiatric, and neurologic conditions can produce memory symptoms that are not degenerative dementia.
• Understanding DementiaReversible contributors to cognitive symptomsEven when dementia is present, treating reversible contributors can meaningfully improve day-to-day function.
• Testing & DiagnosisWhen should memory problems be evaluated?Evaluate when memory changes are noticed by others, are progressing, or are affecting daily tasks.
• Testing & DiagnosisWhat happens during a memory evaluationA memory evaluation combines history, cognitive testing, examination, laboratory work, and often imaging.
• Testing & DiagnosisNeuropsychological testingA detailed multi-hour assessment that maps cognitive strengths and weaknesses in fine detail.
• Testing & DiagnosisMRI and CT imagingImaging rules out treatable structural causes and shows patterns of atrophy and vascular disease.
• Testing & DiagnosisAmyloid PETAn imaging test that shows whether amyloid plaques are present in the brain.
• Testing & DiagnosisBlood biomarkers including p-tauBlood-based biomarkers can indicate Alzheimer's pathology with a simple blood draw.
• Testing & DiagnosisGenetic testing and APOEAPOE is a risk factor, not a diagnosis. Rare inherited forms of dementia are a separate question.
• Testing & DiagnosisWhen to see a neurologistPrimary care can start the evaluation. Specialist referral helps when the picture is complex or treatment is being considered.
• Testing & DiagnosisWhat to bring to a memory evaluationA checklist to print or save before the appointment.
• TreatmentDonepezil (Aricept)A cholinesterase inhibitor used across mild, moderate, and severe Alzheimer's disease.
• TreatmentRivastigmine (Exelon)A cholinesterase inhibitor available as a skin patch, often used in Lewy body and Parkinson's disease dementia.
• TreatmentGalantamine (Razadyne)A cholinesterase inhibitor used in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.
• TreatmentMemantine (Namenda)An NMDA receptor modulator used in moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, often alongside a cholinesterase inhibitor.
• TreatmentLeqembi (lecanemab)An anti-amyloid antibody that modestly slows decline in early Alzheimer's disease for carefully selected patients.