Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia, isn’t a normal part of the aging process. It’s a brain disorder that can’t be stopped or reversed. Its symptoms get worse over time and affect your memory, thinking, learning and organizing skills, reducing your ability to do simple, everyday things.

What to expect at your first appointment

A detailed dementia diagnosis helps shape the right treatment plan for your needs. Cleveland Clinic offers advanced tests to check for biological (physical) signs of Alzheimer’s disease and rule out other conditions or types of dementia.

During your first visit, our team will ask a lot of questions about your symptoms and medical history. You might also have blood and urine tests to see if any other health issues could be causing your symptoms. And we may also do more in-depth testing to further confirm your diagnosis.

Clinical assessments 

We’ll also have you do cognitive tests (mental status tests) to check your memory, problem-solving, focus, counting and language skills. You might have neuropsychological tests which also let us check your memory, as well as your attention skills, personality, planning, reasoning and language skills. Both types of tests also work for tracking changes in your memory over time.

Brain imaging

We look for changes in your brain using highly detailed imaging tests. CT scans let us see Alzheimer’s-related changes in your brain. PET scans help us check for abnormal brain activity. Specialized PET scans can detect abnormal amyloid protein buildup in the brain related to Alzheimer’s disease-related.

We also use sophisticated brain MRI scans, which can show breakdowns in brain tissue (atrophy), as well as establish a baseline for your care. They can also help us rule out other conditions like strokes, tumors, fluid buildup in your brain and other damage that can cause Alzheimer's disease-like symptoms.

Meet Your Alzheimer’s Disease Care Team

If you choose to come to Cleveland Clinic for care, you’ll have a team of expert healthcare providers on your side — ones who know what it takes to diagnose and treat this progressive condition, including early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Your care team could include:

• Neurologists.
• Neuropsychologists.
• Radiologists.
• Psychologists.
• Psychiatrists.
• Social workers.
• Geriatricians.
• Physical therapists.
• Occupational therapists.
• Speech therapists.
• Music therapists.
• Neurorehabilitation providers.  

Right now, there’s no way to completely stop Alzheimer’s disease, but that won’t keep us from focusing on how we can improve the quality of life for you and your loved ones. We’ll do everything possible to manage your Alzheimer’s disease symptoms and reduce further risk. We’ll select the most appropriate combination of treatments for you as we create your personalized care plan.

Alzheimer’s disease medications

We offer several medications to help manage how Alzheimer’s disease changes your brain and behavior. These medications help to keep your brain healthier and working at its best for longer. We also offer medications to lessen behavioral symptoms, such as anxiety or agitation, and manage sleep problems.

Your medications will depend on your individual symptoms and the stage of Alzheimer’s disease (mild, moderate or severe). We carefully and thoughtfully prescribe medications to optimize your treatment, daily life and comfort. Medications to address symptoms in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease after it develops could include:

• Cholinesterase inhibitors like Donepezil (Aricept^®), Rivastigmine (Exelon^®) and Galantamine (Razadyne^®). 
• NMDA antagonists like Memantine (Namenda^®).
• New-generation anti-amyloid therapies like Lecanemab (Leqembi^®).

These five medications have shown modest success in reducing or stabilizing symptoms but aren’t effective when dementia reaches advanced stages.

Depending on your behavioral symptoms, you may also take medications to treat anxiety, restlessness, aggression, depression, paranoia and hallucinations. Most of these kinds of drugs are used for short periods of time for severe behavioral issues or after other drugs and treatments have failed.

Other Alzheimer’s disease therapies

Our skilled neurorehabilitation providers can guide you through exercises and recommend small changes to improve your daily life to make things easier. We personalize all physical and occupational therapy to your needs. Music therapy and behavioral health counseling can also enhance your overall well-being with Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s Disease Support at Cleveland Clinic

We know you face a lot of challenges with this diagnosis. And we’re here to guide you through it, every step of the way — whether you need physical therapy at home, personal care help or companionship.

Our dedicated social workers help coordinate these support services for you and your loved ones. We also point you to resources across Cleveland Clinic and in your community, such as Alzheimer’s disease support groups. These resources can ease the effect of Alzheimer’s disease on your life and the lives of your loved ones. They include:

• Eating and nutritional support.
• Caregiver well-being.
• Alzheimer’s disease counseling.
• Housing options and long-term care services.
• Palliative care.
• Hospice care.

We also make teaching you and your family about Alzheimer’s disease a top priority so you and your loved ones can be as safe as possible. Our team may even recommend home safety assessments or modifications to reduce your risk at home. We’re here to help in any way we can.

Taking the Next Step

There’s no way around the fact that life will change when you have Alzheimer’s disease. We understand that, and we’re here for you and your family with the latest treatments and compassionate support, for as long as you need us.