Dementia Specialist

What is dementia?

Dementia is a broad term for a clinical decline in your cognitive abilities. As diseases that cause dementia progress, they can have increasingly severe and distressing effects that eventually become disabling. Conditions for which dementia is a primary symptom include:

Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most widespread forms of dementia. It affects memory – particularly for recent events – thinking skills and behavior. You may experience problems remembering your usual routines, and facts you should be able to recall easily, like your phone number and address, won't come to mind.

Vascular dementia

Vascular dementia develops when an existing cerebrovascular disease damages the blood vessels in your brain. This deprives your brain of some of the oxygen and nutrients it needs, leading to a decline in thinking skills.

Lewy body dementia

Lewy body dementia is caused by damage to your brain cells. It reduces your ability to think and act independently.

Huntington's disease

Huntington's disease is a brain disorder that arises if you inherit a specific defective gene. It affects the central area of your brain, which controls mood, movement, and thinking.

Dementia is most often a disease of older age, but it can affect younger people. Early-onset Alzheimer's disease affects people under 65 years old, and Huntington's disease usually develops between 30 and 50 – sometimes younger.

How is dementia diagnosed?

Dementia can affect people differently, and no lab test can confirm you have it. Dr. Tesfaye uses his skills and experience to evaluate your symptoms and determine whether your problems are related to dementia or another kind of health condition.

Patients who receive a dementia diagnosis typically have difficulties with at least two of their primary mental functions, which are:

• Memory
• Language
• Visual perception
• Judgment and reasoning
• Concentration

Dr. Tesfaye also performs a physical exam and looks through your personal and family medical history. In some cases, he may need to talk to close family members or friends to find out how your condition is affecting you.

What treatments can help with dementia?

There's no cure for dementia, but Dr. Tesfaye works closely with you and your family to help manage your condition and reduce its impact on your quality of life.

Certain medications can temporarily relieve some symptoms of dementia. You might benefit from physical therapy to help you stay active, nutritional support, and medications to relieve specific symptoms. Dr. Tesfaye can also advise you and your family to ensure your safety and comfort at home.

The sooner you start having treatment for your dementia, the better, so call Atlanta Neuro Care, or book an appointment online today.