Talking With Patients and Care Partners About Treatment Goals and Challenges in Early-Stage Alzheimer Disease.

ABSTRACT

Alzheimer disease (AD) requires timely diagnosis and treatment initiation as early as possible to delay further loss of functioning. Clinicians must attempt to answer patients' and care partners' questions about treatment goals and expected challenges. In this webcast, Drs Burke and Apostolova address topics critical to the care of patients with early-stage AD. They highlight barriers to diagnosis, describe genetic risk factors, and emphasize the role of neuropsychologic testing. Drs Burke and Apostolova agree that, although current medications slow symptom progression associated with AD, emerging therapies offer hope for disease modification. These experts also talk about important conversations to have with patients and their care partners, such as about diet, exercise, driving, and plans for the later stage of illness.