The 8 Common Causes of Dementia

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
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I hear and read confusing comments about dementia on a daily basis. Most commonly, I find that people fail to distinguish between diseases and medical conditions that impair thinking and the advanced state of impairment that we call "dementia".

Perhaps this excellent summary from HealthBridge of dementing medical disorders will help clarify the issue. I found the list to be accurate and the supporting details well documented. I encourage you to click through and read the summary but if you want to know the eight conditions on the list, I've noted them here:

1. Alzheimer's disease
2. Vascular Dementia
3. Mixed Dementia
4. Dementia with Lewy Bodies
5. Parkinson's Disease
6. Frontotemporal Dementia
7. Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
8. Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Diagnosing the Cause of Memory Loss

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation
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Having memory loss or cognitive impairment does not mean that you have Alzheimer's Disease (AD). This important message is developed more completely at PreventAD.com, an informational website geared toward preventing Alzheimer's disease by educating the public on how to best delay its onset and progression.

Through a standard medical evaluation and diagnostic protocol, physicians often find that depression, a metabolic disorder, or other medications are impairing a patient's memory. By following published guidelines and ruling out other causes of memory loss, physicians can diagnose AD with better than 90% accuracy at an early stage of the progression.

Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease early and accurately is crucial because for every month that treatment is delayed, there is irreversible loss of function. Current treatment of mildly-to-moderately demented AD persons with FDA-approved medication can delay AD progression meaningfully in some patients; the earlier treatment is started the more effectively the progression of AD is blocked, and the longer it is delayed.

Below are suggested steps to get the right diagnosis:

1. Find the Right Physician
2. Get Tested Professionally
3. Collect Patient and Family History
4. Identify Treatable Medical Conditions
5. Brain Imaging Studies
6. Final Diagnosis

Based on the history, examination, laboratory and brain imaging results, a properly trained physician can diagnose the cause of your condition with 90% accuracy or higher using NINDS-ADRDS criteria. Typically it takes a few weeks to complete a diagnostic evaluation of ADRD.

NIH State of the Science Conference

Contributed by: Dennis Fortier, President, Medical Care Corporation


As I write often, the purpose of this blog is to help readers discriminate between press about solid science and press with a hidden or contorted agenda. Of course, every source has some bias so it is best to read broadly, cultivate your ability to discern, and make your own decisions about the state of the science.

One particularly good source of well-vetted, scientific summary is the National Institute of Health. Among the many ways they contribute to objective scientific inquiry is their "State of the Science" conferences. On April 26-28 they will convene such a conference on "Preventing Alzheimer's Disease and Cognitive Decline".

The purpose of the conference is to evaluate the available scientific information on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and develop a statement that advances understanding of the issue under consideration and will be useful to health professionals and the public.

Discussion topics will include:

• What factors are associated with the reduction of risk of AD?
• What factors are associated with the reduction of risk of cognitive decline in older adults?
• What are the relationships between the factors that affect AD and the factors that affect cognitive decline?
• What are the therapeutic and adverse effects of interventions to delay the onset of AD?
• What are the therapeutic and adverse effects of interventions to improve or maintain cognitive ability, or preserve cognitive function? Are there different outcomes in identifiable subgroups?
• If recommendations for interventions cannot be made currently, what studies need to be done that could provide the quality and strength of evidence necessary to make such recommendations to individuals?

These conferences are free to attend, allow the public as well as professionals with an opportunity to contribute, and culminate with an objective summary about the state of the science in the particular field. If you know someone with an interest, please pass this on to ensure they are aware of the opportunity to participate. Even if attendance is not practical, let's all be aware of the forthcoming consensus report that the conference will generate and make available.