Clinician-written articles on dementia screening, the clock drawing test, early warning signs, and caregiver guidance. Browse by topic below, or visit our caregiver’s guide for a curated starting point.
What dementia is, the main types, and what distinguishes them.
A physician's comprehensive guide to Alzheimer's disease — what it is biologically, how it progresses, how it's diagnosed, current and emerging treatments, and what families need to know.
Dementia is an umbrella term; Alzheimer's is one specific disease under it. A plain-English guide to the distinction that confuses most families.
Lewy body dementia is the third most common dementia — and one of the most frequently missed. A plain-English guide to recognition, diagnosis, the antipsychotic warning, and what families need to know.
Most people with Parkinson's eventually develop cognitive changes, and a significant portion develop dementia. What Parkinson's disease dementia is, how it differs from Lewy body dementia, and what families can do.
Frontotemporal dementia often presents as a personality change rather than memory loss — and is frequently misdiagnosed as a psychiatric condition for years. A physician's guide for families.
Primary progressive aphasia is a dementia where language is lost first — sometimes for years before memory is affected. The variants, how it differs from Alzheimer's, and how families can help.
Vascular dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain — often from small strokes or cumulative vascular damage. A physician's guide to its distinctive pattern, diagnosis, and what families can do.
Up to 30 percent of stroke survivors develop dementia within a year. Why it happens, what recovery looks like, and what families can do.
Mild cognitive impairment sits between normal aging and dementia. What it is, who gets it, what the progression risk looks like, and how it's managed.
Dementia in people under 65 — also called early-onset or younger-onset dementia — has a different presentation, different causes, and requires a different evaluation. A physician's guide for families.
Depression in older adults can look strikingly like early dementia — a pattern sometimes called pseudodementia. A clinician's guide to the differences, and why it matters.
What to watch for in yourself, a parent, or a spouse.
Memory changes in yourself or a loved one — when is it time to see a doctor? Red flags, reasonable watchful waiting, and how to prepare for the appointment.
How to tell the difference between normal memory changes and possible early dementia — a plain-English guide for adult children, spouses, and caregivers.
The ten early warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, in plain English — what each looks like in daily life, and how to tell it apart from normal aging.
Concrete signs to watch for, questions to ask yourself, and how to start the conversation with a parent you're worried about — from a physician whose grandmothers are approaching 100.
How the test works, how to use it, and what results mean.
A plain-English guide to what the clock drawing test measures, how doctors score it (Shulman, Mendez, Rouleau, Royall CLOX), and what the results mean.
The clock drawing test looks simple, but each part of the drawing maps to a distinct cognitive domain. A guide to what the face, the numbers, and the hands each tell a clinician.
The three-word recall in the Mini-Cog isn't arbitrary. Three words, combined with a clock drawing as distractor, tests delayed verbal memory in a way 5 or 10 words wouldn't.
Step-by-step instructions for administering a clock drawing test at home, written for family members and non-clinical caregivers — what to say, what to watch for, and when to escalate.
A side-by-side comparison of the three most common cognitive screening tests — MMSE, Clock Drawing Test, and MoCA — including when each is used and what the scores mean.
Not all online dementia tests are based on validated clinical tools. A physician's guide to which free online screenings are real, which to avoid, and what to look for.
A step-by-step walkthrough of the first cognitive evaluation appointment — what happens, what to bring, what questions to ask, and how to get the most out of the visit.
Interpreting clock drawing test results honestly.
A perfect Mini-Cog score is a reassuring baseline, not a clean bill of cognitive health. What a top score actually tells you, and what it doesn't.
A Mini-Cog score of 3 or 4 is a negative screen — within the normal range. Here's why you lost a point, what it means (and doesn't), and when to follow up.
A Mini-Cog score of 2 or lower is a positive screen — it's a reason to see a doctor, not a diagnosis. What a positive screen actually means, and what to do next.
A calm, practical guide to what comes next if you or a loved one scored low on a clock drawing test — and why a low score is a screening result, not a diagnosis.
What to expect as dementia develops.
Dementia progresses in recognizable stages — early, middle, late. What to expect at each stage, how long they last, and what families need to know.
How long does someone with dementia live? The real range, what factors matter most, and what these numbers can and cannot tell a family trying to plan.
The signs of late-stage dementia, what the final months and weeks typically look like, and how families can make the care focused and the time meaningful.
When hospice is appropriate for dementia, what it actually provides, how eligibility works, and why most families wish they had enrolled earlier.
Practical guidance for families living with dementia.
What to do in the weeks and months after a dementia diagnosis — legal, financial, medical, and care planning priorities that compound when started early.
The everyday reality of home care for a parent or spouse with dementia — safety, routines, hard moments, and taking care of the caregiver. A physician-written guide.
Caregiver burnout is a real clinical entity with real health consequences — and the most common factor behind nursing home placement. How to recognize it and what actually helps.
Grieving a family member with dementia while they are still living is a real, named experience. How to recognize it, why it matters, and what actually helps.
How to explain dementia to children and teens, what they notice, how to prepare them for visits, and how families can preserve the relationship across the disease.
Meaningful activities for people with dementia at every stage — what engages, what calms, and what to avoid. Practical ideas from clinicians and caregivers.
What each type of care actually provides, when each is appropriate, what they cost, and how families can decide — a physician-written guide to one of the hardest decisions in dementia caregiving.
Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance, VA benefits, private pay — what actually covers what in dementia care, and how families can plan financially.
Sundowning — the late-day confusion and agitation common in dementia — has specific triggers and practical management strategies. A clinician-written guide for families.
How to tell when a parent or spouse with cognitive changes shouldn't drive anymore, how to assess driving safety, and how to have the hardest conversation in dementia caregiving.
What medications do and what reduces risk.
Donepezil, rivastigmine, memantine, lecanemab — what each dementia medication does, what it doesn't, and what families should ask when one is prescribed.
The first disease-modifying medications for Alzheimer's disease — what they do, who qualifies, what the risks are, and how to decide whether they make sense for you.
True dementia from Alzheimer's, Lewy body, frontotemporal, or vascular disease is not reversible with currently available treatments — but the answer is more nuanced than yes or no.
An estimated 40 percent of dementia cases may be preventable. A physician's guide to the twelve modifiable risk factors identified by the Lancet Commission, ranked by evidence strength.
The MIND diet, Mediterranean diet, specific nutrients, eating challenges in dementia — a physician's guide to what nutrition research actually supports and what practical eating looks like at each stage.
Diabetes roughly doubles dementia risk and has specific implications for brain health. What the research shows, what 'type 3 diabetes' actually means, and what families can do.
The concern that anesthesia causes dementia is widespread and often overstated. A physician's honest review of what the research shows about surgery, delirium, and long-term cognitive risk.
Concerns about statins and memory come up constantly. The research actually suggests statins may reduce dementia risk, not increase it. What the evidence shows and what it means for you.
If a parent has dementia, what is your actual risk? A physician's guide to the difference between familial and sporadic dementia, the APOE gene, and when genetic testing makes sense.
Poor sleep is one of the modifiable risk factors for dementia — and sleep apnea is one of the most important. A clinician's guide to what the evidence supports and what it doesn't.