Alzheimer's Association Previews Its First-Ever Guidance on Alzheimer's and Related Dementia

​At its annual international meeting in Chicago, the Alzheimer's Association previewed its forthcoming clinical guidelines for primary care clinicians to evaluate Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and neurodegenerative cognitive behavioral syndromes. The 20 recommendations, which are being prepared for publication, state that middle-aged or older individuals should undergo a timely evaluation if they experience cognitive, behavioral, or functional changes; the changes may be self-reported or identified by a clinician or someone close to the patient. Clinicians should not dismiss concerns about such changes as "normal aging" without conducting an assessment, says the association. "Evaluation should involve not only the patient and clinician but, almost always, also . . . a care partner (e.g., family member or confidant)."