Dementia: Compassionate care

It’s normal to experience some memory changes as you age. But if memory loss affects your daily life, it may be a sign of dementia.

Dementia is the word used to describe several conditions that impact your ability to remember. Dementia can also affect your ability to focus and solve problems. 

The most common type of dementia is called Alzheimer’s disease. Other types of dementia are:

• Frontotemporal dementia (FTD)

• Lewy body dementia (LBD)

• Mild cognitive impairment

• Mixed dementia

• Vascular dementia

Though common among older adults, dementia is not “just a standard part” of aging. With early diagnosis, symptoms of dementia can be delayed.

Symptoms of dementia vary. That’s because different types of dementia affect different parts of the brain. Dementia symptoms may include:

• Confusion

• Difficulty speaking or understanding

• Memory loss

• Mood swings

• Personality changes

• Poor judgment

• Trouble recognizing people and places

Diagnosing dementia

To diagnose dementia, your doctor will ask questions about your medical history and conduct a physical examination. Your doctor will also perform a mental status exam. This exam evaluates your ability to reason, think and remember.

Your doctor may order blood or urine tests to rule out other medical conditions that can cause similar symptoms to those caused by dementia. 

Your doctor also may order brain imaging tests to help diagnose dementia or rule out other conditions. Imaging tests used during a dementia diagnosis may include:

• CT scan

• MRI

• PET scan

• Single photon emission CT (SPECT)

Our geriatricians and neurologists lead dementia care at UW Health.

Geriatricians specialize in the care of older adults. Neurologists specialize in the care of conditions affecting the brain. Your care may also include:

• Neuropsychologists (doctors focused on how the brain influences behavior)

• Nutritionists

• Palliative care experts (professionals who address emotional, social and spiritual needs)

• Physical, occupational and speech therapists

The UW Health Memory Care Clinic is dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of dementia. The clinic offers memory assessments at three Madison-area locations. The Memory Care Clinic is part of the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute’s memory clinic network.

Though dementia can be slowed, it cannot be cured. UW Health palliative care experts offer support as dementia progresses. 

Informational resources

• Dementia Matters — A podcast by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Listen now

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• National Institute on Aging

• The Alzheimer’s Association