Co-Founder of Medinteract, Dr. John Dougherty, was part of a check presentation to the UT Medical Center from the Pat Summit Foundation on behalf of the “We Back Pat” promotion at half time of the University of Tennessee versus Baylor game on Sunday, November 27, 2011. The event raised $150,000 and was generated grants to the UT Medical Center’s Brain and Spine Institute and Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc.
Click here to see the Presentation
About Pat Summit Foundation
The Pat Summit Foundation Fund believes no family should have to hear a diagnosis like Pat’s: early onset dementia, Alzheimer’s type. The Fund will make grants to nonprofits which provide:
- Education and awareness of Alzheimer’s its onset and treatment,
- Support services to patients, their families and caregivers,
- Research to treat, prevent, cure and ultimately eradicate this disease.
About Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc
In 1983, a small group of East Tennessee families began to meet informally in an effort to understand and cope with the ravaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Together, the group was able to anticipate, confront, and solve seemingly insurmountable problems with a renewed sense of hope, confidence and accomplishment.
Alzheimer’s Tennessee, Inc. began providing services in East Tennessee as a non-profit organization in 1983. Two years later, the group affiliated with the Chicago-based National Alzheimer’s Association and became known as the Alzheimer’s Association, Eastern Tennessee Chapter, Inc. However, it always remained incorporated in the state of Tennessee and governed by a local Board of Directors.
The Eastern Tennessee Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association returned to its original independent status in August 2011 to ensure that more resources support top research and local services for individuals and families struggling with the devastating disease.
About UT Medical Center and the Cole Neuroscience Center
The Cole Neuroscience Center is the only Neurology sub-specialty center of its kind in the region, The Cole Neuroscience Center offers a complete spectrum of care for degenerative neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Movement Disorders, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Epilepsy. Our specialists work together to develop treatment plans that assist the entire family. From access to the latest diagnostic tools and the newest clinical trials, to offering counseling and long-term care options, the Cole Neuroscience Center has so much to offer – especially hope. Each year the Cole Neuroscience Center serves more than 1400 patients with Parkinson’s disease, 2000 with Alzheimer’s disease and numerous others with neurodegenerative diseases.
KNOXVILLE (WATE) – Hundreds of people were at Sevier Heights Baptist Church Thursday to hear what a leading Alzheimer’s specialist had to say about the degenerative brain disease.
Dr. John Dougherty, with Cole Neuroscience Center at UT Medical Center, not only talked, he listened as people of all ages shared their stories about life with a loved one struggling with the mind-robbing disease.
Knoxville News Sentinel – Hundreds turn out to hear Alzheimer’s Expert
WATE TV Knoxville, TN – Alzheimer’s Expert Shares His Knowledge at Knoxville Event
As diagnostic criteria for Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) has become more widely embraced by the medical community, more and more patients are receiving a diagnosis and then asking the obvious question: what is it? This is generally followed by: does this mean I have (or will have) Alzheimer’s disease (AD)? Read More
Today, Bloomberg Businessweek published a study documenting the decrease in the cost of care when dementia is diagnosed early. Cost savings is a great thing. But bigger than that is the increased quality of life and potential delay of disease progression for early and proper diagnosis. The earlier we diagnose a disease like Alzheimer’s, the more effective the treatments are at staving off the onset of additional symptoms or worsening of those existing. Read More
A few days ago we received a very nice testimonial on our Facebook page and it made me realize that what we offer is truly two-fold. Here is the message we received:
I took the self test today, and the results were excellent in all areas. With a family history of Alzheimer’s, having access to a quick, easy, affordable tool to catch problems early, gives me great peace of mind. Now I’ll chalk up my memory problems to overwork, rather than to early ALZ.
We offer the ALZselftest as a way to help people discover early warning signs of Alzheimer’s and get diagnosed early, when treatment options are most effective. But on the other side are the millions of baby boomers who have begun to worry that their memory lapses are something far more serious than mere absent-mindedness or paying insufficient attention. For these folks, like our commenter above, the ALZselftest offers a quick, highly accurate way to find “peace of mind”. The less time you spend fretting about the occasional lost set of keys, the more clear your mind will be, and the better you’ll feel each day.
Do not fear the outcome! Knowledge is power, and for the first time you are empowered with the tools to screen your mind and learn crucial information about your cognitive function. Besides, think how relieved you will be when you find out that you forget the same things the rest of us do, and are suffering no serious deficits within any of your cognitive domains! Don’t delay, screen your brain today.
This week Medinteract is offering the ALZselftest free to the public as part of the 4th Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Garden. This is part of our ongoing effort to educate the public and screen seniors for early signs of Alzheimer’s, while there’s still plenty of time to treat it. Please join us if you are in the Knoxville area. The Memory Walk takes place Saturday, April 17th.
The Brain and Spine Institute in collaboration with the Cole Neuroscience Center will again host the 4th Annual Alzheimer’s Awareness Garden April 12-16. The Alzheimer’s Awareness Garden honors families and caregivers impacted by Alzheimer’s. This year, the garden will be located outdoors in the Healing Garden.
April 5 to 9, the week prior to opening the garden, special activities are planned in the main lobby from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. daily including the following.
- Computerized memory testing
- Tips for coping with caregiver stress
- “Food for Thought”
- Diabetes, stroke and the Alzheimer’s connection
- Brain games and teasers
Cognitive Changes in AD: Apathy and Delusion
In the last post we considered the cognitive change of depression, and how it can affect those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as some tips to help discern between pure depression and AD.
Today we’ll consider other cognitive change often seen along with AD – apathy and delusion.
Some AD patients develop frustration, agitation or combativeness, which can be extremely difficult to treat and manage (if you are a caregiver for an AD patient with these symptoms, you are all too aware of the strain this can create). Sometimes change in personality with agitated features can be an early manifestation of AD so pay close attention to this. Read More
Depression and Alzheimer’s
In the first three posts (1, 2, 3) of this series we explored how to identify and understand many symptoms of early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as how to use them to build a historical timeline. These posts provide a good foundation for moving forward in our basic understanding of AD.
In this post we move into the topic of cognitive changes associated with early AD, and include an exercise you can try with your loved ones at home. Read More
In the last post we began to take a closer look at some of the more widely known symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as well as to explore the differences between normal aging and cognitive impairment within those symptoms. In this post I am going to provide you a list of areas in your day-to-day life where symptoms of AD appear, to help you better distinguish normal aging from the signs of something more serious. Read More
