Memory and cognitive disorders care
Beyond memory loss: A holistic approach to managing cognitive disorders
Cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer's disease impact every aspect of your life, including your physical and mental health, your independence, your family relationships, and your long-term quality of life. If you're experiencing memory loss, you need and deserve the best care possible to address the full spectrum of these issues, starting with the best clinical treatment.
At Penn Medicine, patients receive individualized treatment plans and access to the latest treatments and therapies to help manage the cognitive and behavioral symptoms caused by memory loss. Our cognitive and memory specialists use a collaborative approach to care, partnering with other centers and specialists across the health system to find the root cause of your dementia, treat the symptoms, and give you the support you need to maintain your quality of life.
Identifying the cause of memory loss
Early diagnosis and intervention are critical to slow the progression of memory loss disorders. While no single test can diagnose dementia, our team uses a combination of diagnostic procedures based on your symptoms. We start by gathering your medical history, performing physical and neurological exams, and assessing your mental health. We may also use diagnostic imaging technology to examine markers in the brain. Penn Medicine offers the most advanced technology for proactive diagnosis.
Memory conditions we treat
Personalized dementia care at Penn Medicine
While there is no cure for dementia and other cognitive disorders, your care team at Penn can offer you personalized treatment and management options to help you maintain your quality of life. Our treatment options include:
Our caregivers are here to support our patients through the challenges of aging with dementia and memory loss. We partner with our patients and their loved ones to develop customized care and management plans that address issues with medication adherence, safety concerns, co-occurring health issues, behavioral wellness, and more.
Our researchers are always studying memory disorders so we can better understand and treat them. As an academic medical center, our patients get first access to new and emerging therapies for memory disorders that may help prolong independence and improve quality of life.
Our cognitive disorder treatment specialists use the latest and most promising FDA-approved medications, including the recent breakthrough drug Leqembi® (lecanemab) and Kisunla® (Donanemab). These medications have been found to slow cognitive decline in people living with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease and can help to improve quality of life. Our research team continues to explore other medications in development to further advance treatment options for those with memory disorders.
We strive to help patients maintain their mobility, independence, and quality of life through our advanced physical and occupational therapy resources. These programs help to increase and strengthen physical and cognitive function to offset the severity of disease progression.
Our therapists will also work to treat the behavioral side effects of dementia and memory loss, including disruptions of sleep, mood changes, and loss of impulse control.
We know that memory loss affects the entire family, and we strive to give caregivers the education, support, and guidance they need to care for themselves, and their aging loved ones. Penn Memory and Center and Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) Center’s support groups help caregivers connect with one another to exchange advice and support.
Our leading network of neurosurgeons is highly experienced in performing procedures to relieve hydrocephalic pressure that can lead to dementia. Non-pressure hydrocephalus is one of the few causes of dementia that can be treated and reversed, but only through surgical intervention.
Penn Memory Center
Penn Memory Center combines science, research, expertise, and hope to provide treatment for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and other age-related progressive memory disorders. We offer decades of experience and a world-class clinical team.
Our doctors
Our providers work with you to plan and deliver exceptional treatment and personalized care.
Locations
Our hospitals, multispecialty medical centers, pharmacies, labs and more offer outstanding, personalized care for patients all across the region.
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