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Normal Forgetfulness or Alzheimer's? About Alzheimer's Disease

Caregiving

Diagnosing Alzheimer's Early

Summary & Participants

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is critical to delaying the effects of the disease. Additonally, the earlier the diagnosis, the more time patients and caregivers have to plan for the future.

Medically Reviewed On: July 18, 2008

Webcast Transcript

P. MURALI DORAISWAMY, MD: You want to make sure that you have your legal documents, you have your insurance documents and your financial documents in order. You also want to establish a structure around the house so that the person becomes familiar and comfortable with a certain daily routine. You want to have a stimulating environment because the brain requires stimulation.

ANNOUNCER: And medications have been proven to slow progression of the disease in many patients.

P. MURALI DORAISWAMY, MD: One class of drugs that's available to treat Alzheimer's is called the cholinesterase inhibitors. Aricept is the only drug that's approved for mild, moderate and severe stages of Alzheimer's. Exelon and Razadyne are approved for mild and moderate.

GARY SMALL, MD: We have a newer drug that now is available that affects another brain messenger symptom and that's called memantine or Namenda. And that also is a symptomatic treatment and we've found that we can use both types of medicines together and at least one study found that it was more of a benefit when you combine the medicines than when you use one alone.

ANNOUNCER: Medications can be effective for treating symptoms, but currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s.

P. MURALI DORAISWAMY, MD: These are called symptomatic drugs. They are not a cure for the disease. They will not halt the disease. What they do is they buy the family extra time. They stabilize the symptoms. In some patients, they can actually improve symptoms, and in other patients, they can actually slow the course of the disease.

ANNOUNCER: Ultimately, patients will not respond to treatment. But an early diagnosis can improve the quality of life for both patients and caregivers as the disease progresses.

P. MURALI DORAISWAMY, MD: The ultimate goal of treating Alzheimer's with the currently available treatments is to offer some stabilization, to increase the level of functioning, to improve the quality of life of both the patient and the caregiver.

Because really it’s a progressively degenerative disease, and without treatment they’re going to lose their activities of daily living. And so really our goal of treatment is to try to maximize functioning and to improve the quality of life.

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