CME | Dementia Demystified: From Early Signs to Everyday Management
About this episode
The episode discusses evaluating and managing dementia-related concerns in primary care, focusing on early signs, cognitive decline, and practical management strategies.
In this CME On the Go episode, our hosts discuss evaluating and managing dementia-related concerns in primary care using a common scenario: an older patient brought in by an adult child concerned about Alzheimer's disease and possible nursing home placement. They emphasize that these visits are time intensive and require history from both the patient and family, distinguishing normal aging from functional cognitive decline across domains such as memory, judgment, language and orientation, while remaining aware of family dynamics. Key exam priorities include vision, hearing and depression screening. They review brief and extended cognitive screening tools, labs for reversible causes and selective imaging. The episode outlines definitions of normal aging, mild cognitive impairment and dementia, along with practical, safety-focused management, medication options and the family physician's role in long-term planning and caregiver support. Learning Objectives Recognize early signs and symptoms of dementia and distinguish them from normal aging and potentially reversible causes of cognitive change. Differentiate behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) from unmet needs…
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