Physicians and Alzheimer Dementia: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Raj C. Shah, David A. Bennett
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2020)

Editorials19 May 2020Physicians and Alzheimer Dementia: Past, Present, and FutureCorrection(s) for this article:CorrectionsJul 2020Correction: Physicians and Alzheimer Dementia: Past, Present, and FutureFREERaj C. Shah, MD and David A. Bennett, MDRaj C. Shah, MDRush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois (R.C.S., D.A.B.) and David A. Bennett, MDRush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois (R.C.S., D.A.B.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M20-1500 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Throughout history, "the role of the physician has always been one of gathering patient data and treating disease, of caring and curing, and of bringing science and humanism together to benefit patients" (1). While the particular illnesses and diseases change over time, the patient–physician relationship remains the defining feature of medicine. In the last half-century, the number of patient–physician discussions regarding dementia, especially Alzheimer dementia, has increased (2). In the United States, about 6 million persons aged 65 years or older are living with Alzheimer dementia, along with others younger than 65 years (2). So, what are the evidence-based tools ...References1. Schwenk TL. What does it mean to be a physician? JAMA. 2020. [PMID: 32091542] doi:10.1001/jama.2020.0146 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. 2020 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 2020;16:391-460. doi:10.1002/alz.12068 CrossrefGoogle Scholar3. Hemmy LS, Linskens EJ, Silverman PC, et al. Brief cognitive tests for distinguishing clinical Alzheimer-type dementia from mild cognitive impairment or normal cognition in older adults with suspected cognitive impairment. A systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2020;172:678-87. doi:10.7326/M19-3889 LinkGoogle Scholar4. Fink HA, Linskens EJ, Silverman PC, et al. Accuracy of biomarker testing for neuropathologically defined Alzheimer disease in older adults with dementia. A systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2020;172:669-77. doi:10.7326/M19-3888 LinkGoogle Scholar5. Fink HA, Linskens EJ, MacDonald R, et al. Benefits and harms of prescription drugs and supplements for treatment of clinical Alzheimer-type dementia. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2020;172:656-68. doi:10.7326/M19-3887 LinkGoogle Scholar6. Raina P, Santaguida P, Ismaila A, et al. Effectiveness of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine for treating dementia: evidence review for a clinical practice guideline. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:379-97. [PMID: 18316756] LinkGoogle Scholar7. Jack CR, Bennett DA, Blennow K, et al; Contributors. NIA-AA research framework: toward a biological definition of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement. 2018;14:535-562. [PMID: 29653606] doi:10.1016/j.jalz.2018.02.018 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. Rabinovici GD, Gatsonis C, Apgar C, et al. Association of amyloid positron emission tomography with subsequent change in clinical management among Medicare beneficiaries with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. JAMA. 2019;321:1286-1294. [PMID: 30938796] doi:10.1001/jama.2019.2000 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Boyle PA, Yu L, Leurgans SE, et al. Attributable risk of Alzheimer's dementia attributed to age-related neuropathologies. Ann Neurol. 2019;85:114-124. [PMID: 30421454] doi:10.1002/ana.25380 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Connors MH, Seeher K, Teixeira-Pinto A, et al. Mild cognitive impairment and caregiver burden: a 3-year-longitudinal study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2019;27:1206-1215. [PMID: 31230914] doi:10.1016/j.jagp.2019.05.012 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Qaseem A, Snow V, Cross JT, et al; American College of Physicians/American Academy of Family Physicians Panel on Dementia. Current pharmacologic treatment of dementia: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:370-8. [PMID: 18316755] LinkGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois (R.C.S., D.A.B.)Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed are solely of the authors and not the sponsors.Financial Support: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (P30 AG010161), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA-15-057), and the Illinois Department of Public Health.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M20-1500.Corresponding Author: David A. Bennett, MD, 1750 West Harrison, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60612; e-mail, [email protected]edu.Correction: This article was corrected on 26 May 2020 to fix several errors in the third paragraph.Current Author Addresses: Drs. Shah and Bennett: 1750 West Harrison, Suite 1000, Chicago, IL 60612.This article was published at Annals.org on 28 April 2020. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoBenefits and Harms of Prescription Drugs and Supplements for Treatment of Clinical Alzheimer-Type Dementia Howard A. Fink , Eric J. Linskens , Roderick MacDonald , Pombie C. Silverman , J. Riley McCarten , Kristine M.C. Talley , Mary L. Forte , Priyanka J. Desai , Victoria A. Nelson , Margaret A. Miller , Laura S. Hemmy , Michelle Brasure , Brent C. Taylor , Weiwen Ng , Jeannine M. Ouellette , Kerry M. Sheets , Timothy J. Wilt , and Mary Butler Accuracy of Biomarker Testing for Neuropathologically Defined Alzheimer Disease in Older Adults With Dementia Howard A. Fink , Eric J. Linskens , Pombie C. Silverman , J. Riley McCarten , Laura S. Hemmy , Jeannine M. Ouellette , Nancy L. Greer , Timothy J. Wilt , and Mary Butler Brief Cognitive Tests for Distinguishing Clinical Alzheimer-Type Dementia From Mild Cognitive Impairment or Normal Cognition in Older Adults With Suspected Cognitive Impairment Laura S. Hemmy , Eric J. Linskens , Pombie C. Silverman , Margaret A. Miller , Kristine M.C. Talley , Brent C. Taylor , Jeannine M. Ouellette , Nancy L. Greer , Timothy J. Wilt , Mary Butler , and Howard A. Fink Correction: Physicians and Alzheimer Dementia: Past, Present, and Future Metrics Cited byDerivation and validation of the Rapid Assessment of Dementia Risk (RADaR) for older adultsAndrographolide ameliorates neuroinflammation in APP/PS1 transgenic miceCorrection: Physicians and Alzheimer Dementia: Past, Present, and FutureSalvia miltiorrhiza improves Alzheimer's disease 19 May 2020Volume 172, Issue 10Page: 695-696KeywordsAlzheimer diseaseCognitionColony stimulating factorDementiaDrugsInformation storage and retrievalInterleukinsMild cognitive impairmentPrimary care physiciansSystematic reviews ePublished: 28 April 2020 Issue Published: 19 May 2020 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2020 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...