Programs of
the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute

The Center for Memory and Brain Health at The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute focuses on early detection for dementia. By combining cognitive testing and risk-factor assessment, patients receive recommendations on how to minimize their risk for Alzheimer disease and other related dementias. Those who have already developed Alzheimer disease will receive state-of-the-art treatments.

We all know the importance of physical exercise, but our brains need a workout too. Staying mentally active as you age can reduce your risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer disease. In fact, cognitive abilities can be increased at any age by following a few simple steps. So, here are a few fun ways to keep your brain in great shape.

Read, write, work crossword or other puzzles (Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles)
Attend lectures and plays
Enroll in courses at your local adult education center, community college, or other community group
Play games
Garden
Try memory exercises
Join dancing or other social groups
Volunteer in community groups and causes
Improve your physical fitness: walk for 30 minutes per day, three times per week
Eat a heart-healthy diet, with lots of fruits and vegetables (avoid eating too much)
Reduce stress and "be happy" (as much as possible)

Alzheimer disease

Alzheimer disease impacts more than the patient. Families, friends, and caregivers all become victimized by this disease as they struggle to care for their increasingly helpless loved ones. The Center for Memory and Brain Health at the Berman Brain & Spine Institute provides the region's most comprehensive support for all of those struggling with Alzheimer disease, both directly and indirectly.

Symptoms

Symptoms start with minor forgetfulness and short-term memory loss. As the disease progresses, individuals may suffer personality and behavior changes, including suspiciousness, anxiety, delusions, or hallucinations. Ultimately, Alzheimer disease destroys a person's memory and ability to learn, reason, communicate, and carry out daily activities.

Diagnostics

The Center for Memory and Brain Health's multidisciplinary staff has the tools and the training necessary to accurately diagnose Alzheimer disease and related dementia disorders. They conduct complete mental and neurologic evaluations to gather information on medical and social histories, reflexes, motor skills, visual spatial abilities, and language, memory, and concentration skills for each patient. Blood test results and MRI studies are obtained in an effort to identify reversible causes of memory loss.

Treatments

The Center creates a wide-ranging treatment plan for each patient, in consultation with his or her private physician and through referrals to specialists. The goal is to provide the highest quality of life possible for both patients and their caregivers. Treatment strategies may include any of the following:

Diet recommendations
Exercises and mental activities
Nursing services
Rehabilitation services
Social services
Adult daycare centers
Referral to Alzheimer's Association for joining support groups

Many new medications are available for treatment of dementia, and each patient will receive the appropriate therapeutic agents at each state of his/her disease.

A Team Approach

Michael A Williams, MD, is the medical director of The Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute, director of the Adult Hydrocephalus Center, and codirector of the Center for Gait & Mobility. A graduate of the Indiana University School of Medicine, he completed a transitional internship at Methodist Hospital of Indianapolis, a neurology residency at Indiana University Medical Center, and a fellowship in neurosciences critical care at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to joining LifeBridge Health, he was an attending physician in the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit at Hopkins for 16 years, where he founded the hospital's Adult Hydrocephalus Program. Dr. Williams is board certified in neurology. Widely sought as a lecturer and educator, he serves on the Medical Advisory Board of the Hydrocephalus Association and has been active on numerous advisory committees and panels with a focus on ethics, organ donation, and end-of-life-care, including the Ethics, Law, and Humanities Committee of the American Academy of Neurology, the JHH Ethics Committee (which he co-chaired), the Sinai Hospital Ethics Committee, and the Advisory Committee on Organ Transplantation of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Robin K Wilson, PhD, MD, is the associate director of the Adult Hydrocephalus Center. After earning a doctorate of philosophy in genetics at Cornell University and serving on the faculty of Cornell and the University of Maine, she earned a medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She then interned at the Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and completed a neurology residency at JHH, where she also received fellowship training in adult hydrocephalus. Dr. Wilson is certified in neurology by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

Carol Wamboldt, MS, CRNP, CNRN, is the nurse practitioner for the Adult Hydrocephalus Center. She completed her nursing degree at James Madison University and her graduate studies at the University of Maryland, specializing in adult medicine. Prior to joining LifeBridge Health, Ms. Wamboldt was a nurse on the Neuroscience Critical Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital and a nurse practitioner with the neuromuscular division at the University of Maryland.

At the Center for Memory and Brain Health, patients also have access to the region's leading neurologists, neuropsychologists, pharmacologists, physiatrists, geriatricians, and social workers.