Overview

Evidence-based practice guidelines, such as the American Psychiatric Association's 2007 Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias, strongly support early assessment and intervention. Yet the majority of people with dementia go undiagnosed, or recognition is often delayed until a behavioral crisis has occurred.

Most patients with dementia receive care from a primary care practitioner. Primary care physicians have given a number of reasons for missing or overlooking a dementia diagnosis, including concerns about possible stigmatization of patients with the diagnosis and doubts about the usefulness or desirability of early diagnosis. But an early, accurate diagnosis is beneficial because it can help people with Alzheimer’s and their families to:

Review this series of short online activities to learn more about the recognition and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease in primary care settings!

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

- Describe the differences in brain size and performance on cognitive tests between older adults who do and do not engage in games and puzzles that stimulate cognition.
- Identify which types of exercise (light, moderate, physical) has been associated with decreased risk of MCI and dementia in middle-age and older adults.
- Identify the 4 elements of the multi-domain intervention used in the Finnish Geriatric intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER).