Imagine living with a disease and not having the resources to fight it. This was the case for many families in Western New York before UB's Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center (ADMDC) opened – the first of its kind in the region.
Under the direction of Kinga Szigeti, a board-certified neurologist from the Baylor College of Medicine, the center opened its doors this fall as a part of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences' department of neurology. It is housed at the Jacobs Neurological Institute in Buffalo General Hospital.
The ADMDC cares for a spectrum of cognitive disorders, with an emphasis on early diagnosis and intervention. In addition to treatments, the center is also researching genetic biomarkers associated with Alzheimer's that will help in the development of more effective treatment methods.
"Our mission is to provide compassionate care for patients and families affected by Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders," Szigeti said.
At the ADMDC, patient evaluators use a four-step process that typically takes place over a few weeks. Each patient first visits a neurologist and undergoes blood tests. He or she then provides a thorough medical history – with assistance from family – and finally undergoes brain imaging, along with neuropsychological testing.
A team of health-care providers then discusses the patient's case and which treatments and prognosis best apply to that individual at a "consensus conference." Once the evaluation process is completed, the team of providers follows up with the patient and family, who in turn receive support from a social worker.
This meticulous process enables physicians to classify each patient's problem as either a symptom of normal aging, mild cognitive impairment, or one of various types of dementia. It also provides families with support and guidance.
"I think it's a great step in the right direction," said Michelle Anselmo, a sophomore exercise science major. "I wish there was something like that back when my grandma was diagnosed. It's really difficult seeing someone you are very close to suffer."
Alzheimer's disease affects approximately 4.5 to 6 million patients across the country – nearly 55,000 of these cases are reported in the eight counties of Western New York.
A number of UB students have experienced its effects firsthand.
"My grandma had Alzheimer's. We had to make the decision to put her in a nursing home," said Victoria Perretta, a sophomore psychology major. "After she went [to the nursing home], it seemed like she progressed really quickly, to the point where she might not remember her kids or grandkids depending on the day."
Alzheimer's is currently the sixth-leading cause of death in the country. Among the top 10, it is the only cause of death that cannot be prevented, cured, or even slowed, according to the Alzheimer's Association.
Szigeti has earned $1 million in external funding from the Alzheimer's Association, along with a prominent Patient-Oriented Research Career Development award from the National Institute of Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
With these funds, Szigeti aims to research the genetics of Alzheimer's. She believes that if the genetic makeup of the disease is known, that information will help in classifying subgroups of the disease and will allow new medications to be created. In addition, treatments that could prolong or offset the earlier stage of the disease may be designed; these treatments could help patients that still have somewhat normal functionality.
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Photo: Courtesy of Mitchell Kish
