Expert Videos

Richard Isaacson, MD, explains what Alzheimer's disease is, including who gets it and at what age. He describes what a neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's does in the brain, the difference between Alzheimer's disease and different types of dementia, and how common each of these conditions is as a cause of cognitive decline with aging. Dr. Isaacson also explains the difference between pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for Alzheimer's disease.

In this video, Alzheimer's disease expert Dr. Richard Isaacson describes the symptoms of the condition. He discusses short-term memory loss and other effects on cognitive function, which includes thinking, memory, and other abilities. Dr. Isaacson also discusses why Alzheimer's is a neuropsychiatric disorder, meaning that it affects the behavior of people who have it, as well as their memory and thinking processes and other brain functions. Finally, Dr. Isaacson highlights the important difference between mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease and full-blown Alzheimer's dementia.

Richard Isaacson, MD, an Alzheimer's disease expert from Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, talks about what we know about the causes of Alzheimer's disease. Risk factors, or things that raise the risk of developing Alzheimer's, are an important area of research. Dr. Isaacson discusses how genetics, genetic testing and the APOE4 variant play a role in developing Alzheimer's disease. He also discusses how lifestyle factors are involved, from a brain-healthy diet to the roles of sleep, stress, and sugar in developing Alzheimer's disease. Finally, Dr. Isaacson makes some intriguing suggestions for lifestyle changes and activities that may be beneficial in lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Richard Isaacson, director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, discusses the complex role of heredity in Alzheimer's disease. He explains how interactions between genes and the environment, known as epigenetics, influences who will develop a certain disease such as Alzheimer's. Dr. Isaacson also discusses the importance of variants of the APOE gene, the most common susceptibility gene associated with Alzheimer's disease, and ways to avoid known risks if you have this gene. This video also explains the role of genes in a type of Alzheimer's disease called early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Richard Isaacson, MD, an expert on Alzheimer's disease, describes the steps necessary to diagnose this condition. It is important to see a medical doctor for diagnosis if you have progressive short-term memory loss. Dr. Isaacson discusses the importance of knowing your family medical history, having appropriate blood tests to look for other conditions besides Alzheimer's disease, and which imaging tests are usually done to examine the brain for signs of Alzheimer's. He also talks about which tests may be the most useful to diagnose Alzheimer's disease in the future.

Richard Isaacson, MD, directs the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. In this video, he explains the stages of progressive brain decline in Alzheimer's disease from pre-clinical through mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to Alzheimer's dementia, including its phases. He discusses how cognitive function changes at each stage and how the stage of Alzheimer's disease someone has will determine the care and treatment they need.