Memory and Aging Program
The Memory Disorders Clinic has two goals:
Diagnose
Diagnose the cause of memory or related problems.
Advise and Treat
Offer advice and treatment to deal with memory problems and related difficulties.
General Information
Referral to the Memory Disorders Clinic is generally made by a medical professional, usually the family doctor. The clinic provides evaluations, offering advice to families and referring physicians. The clinic will work with the patient until an evaluation is given, at which point the patient will usually return to seeing his or her referring doctor.
The Memory Disorders Clinic is a multidisciplinary clinic founded in 1984 as part of the federally funded Alzheimer s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and the Sanders-Brown Institute on Aging.
The Clinic offers promising new research protocols to those patients with dementias that are currently thought untreatable.
Evaluation
The Clinic offers initial diagnostic evaluations for adult patients with suspected neurologic disease affecting memory, language, visuo-spatial function or other aspects of cognition. The Clinic offers particular expertise in the evaluation and care of patients with late-life cognitive disorders like vascular dementia and Alzheimer's Disease . Physicians have special expertise in the diagnostic evaluation of puzzling cognitive disorders occurring in any adult.
The evaluation process is extensive, and it takes time and effort. This can be frustrating for patients and families. However, the comprehensive evaluation is worthwhile because many factors are taken into account in reaching the diagnosis, and recommendations are based on a careful assessment.
Each patient undergoes objective neuropsychological assessment, a social service evaluation, review of previous medical records and radiologic studies followed by a complete neurologic evaluation. This information is evaluated thoroughly at a formal diagnostic review conference. For more information on what to expect at your evaluation, click here.