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What Does A Neurologist Do For Dementia

Nassau Suffolk Neurology > What Does A Neurologist Do For Dementia

Dementia 

Dementia is a memory loss disease that affects the daily life of elderly people, usually over the age of 65. It is described as the loss of cognitive functions, which is the ability of thinking, reasoning, and remembering, and behavioral activities that affect the activities of people who suffer. Some other functions that dementia affects your memory, language skills, visual perception, the ability to pay attention, self-management, or problem-solving. Each case of dementia is different for every person depending on which stage of dementia they are in. During the beginning stages of dementia, the symptoms are not as severe; as time goes on, the symptoms will become worse and more severe. Dementia occurs in the body when health neurons begin to lose their connection with other cells in the brain and begin to die. This occurs naturally as we begin to age, but people who are experiencing dementia see their neurons lose connection at a faster rate.   

Neurologist Near West Islip

Many people over the age of 85 begin to experience some type of dementia, by either forgetting what day of the week it is or losing track of the date. Dementia is not a normal part of the aging process because many people live into their 90s without any signs of dementia. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia among older adults. If you think a friend of a loved one is suffering from dementia or are looking for a neurologist near West Islip, you should contact Nassau Suffolk Neurology. 

 

What can neurologist do for dementia 

Neurologists are doctors that specialize in disorders of the brain and nervous system. When it comes to dementia, there is not a lot they can do. They only have the power to diagnose and assess the severity of dementia because there is no cure and only a handful of treatments. Detecting early is important because there is a chance to slow down the progression of it. So your neurologist or typical physician might take an initial medication assessment A medical assessment involves

  • Medical history -This might show if dementia runs in the family. It can shows when the symptoms began to appear and if the person was prescribed the right medication. 
  • Physical Tests– The physical tests might be taking blood pressure or taking other vitals to see if any abnormalities might show dementia symptoms. 
  • Neurological tests– Assessing the cognitive functions (Balance, sensory response, and reflexes) can help identify conditions that are similar to those of dementia. This can help detect it early and slow down the progression of any dementia. 

Neurologist near West IslipNeurologists may also use other types of tests to see if there is any sign of dementia. Some of the other tests include: 

  • Laboratory test– The testing of someone’s blood or other body fluids may be able to detect potential signs or symptoms.  
  • Brain Scans – these scans can identify the changes of the brain like scarring of the brain or change in the brain’s functioning. Types of scans include: Computed tomography (CT), Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Positron emission tomography (PET)
  • Psychiatric test – These types of tests help determine the mental health of the brain and see if they are physically showing symptoms of dementia. 

 

Treatments 

There are only a handful of medicines that can help the person suffering from dementia. These treatments cannot cure or slow down the progression but can help ease the other symptoms involved in dementia. Some other medications that your medical provider or neurologist may prescribe to you are: 

  • cholinesterase inhibitor– scientists believe that this drug can help prevent the breakdown of the drug Acetylcholine, which is an important drug with learning, memory, and mood. 
  • Memantine– has the potential to help improve the memory, attention, and reasoning skills of the brain. 

 

Contact Neurologist near West Islip 

Nassau Suffolk Neurology is here to provide our service and help you with all your neurological needs. We want to make sure that you are receiving the best care possible. Nassau Suffolk Neurology’s staff has the experience to answer any questions or concerns you have. If you are looking for a neurologist near West Islip, you should consider scheduling an appointment with Nassau Suffolk Neurology.