The Memory Disorders Center at St. Luke's

St. Luke's Memory Disorder Center will provide comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis and treatment of patients with memory problems and/or dementia and provide education and assistance for families and caregivers. A multidisiplinary team will address related
psychosocial issues, physical disabilities and optimize functional capacities.

Dementia itself is not a disease. Instead, the word “dementia” covers several symptoms caused by brain disorders, such as stroke or Alzheimer’s disease.

Dementia

People with dementia have serious problems with two or more brain functions. For example, they might have problems with speech and memory.

Among other things, dementia can:

• Hinder a person’s ability to perform everyday tasks, such as eating or dressing.
• Cause personality changes.
• Lead to a person’s inability to control their emotions.

Risk Factors

Researchers have identified several risk factors associated with developing dementia. Some of these are:

• Age – (the chances of suffering from dementia increase with age; people older than 65 are at greater risk) 
• Family history
• Smoking and/or alcohol use
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Down’s syndrome
• Repeated or sever head injury

Treating Dementia

The symptoms of dementia are treated with medications. While medications cannot cure dementia, they may improve or slow symptoms.

Preventing Dementia

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), some actions may prevent or slow dementia in some people. For example, NIH cites studies that have shown that people who control their diabetes tend to score better on brain tests than those who do not. Other studies have found that people who often take part in brain-related activities, such as playing games, doing crossword puzzles, or playing a musical instrument can lower their risk of developing dementia.