Understanding the Importance of Screening and Utility of Clinical Assessment Tools for Early Stages of Alzheimer's Disease
NeurologyThe Modern Clinician’s Guide to the Screening and Diagnosis of Early Alzheimer’s Disease
0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s) ™
January 24, 2022
The accreditation for this activity has expired.
Primary Audience:
Primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) and neurologists, particularly community neurologists.
Relevant Terms:
Diagnosis, Medicare Annual Wellness Visit, Cognitive Assessment Tools, Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Cognitive, Functional, Behavioral, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Biomarkers
R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD
Director, Memory Disorders Program
Vice Chair for Clinical Research
Professor, Department of Neurology
Georgetown University Medical Center
Washington, DC
Dr R. Scott Turner is Vice Chair for Clinical Research, Professor of Neurology, and Director of the Memory Disorders Program at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He received his doctorate and medical degrees from Emory University, Atlanta, followed by an internship in Internal Medicine, residency in Neurology, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute-funded fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dr Turner is board certified in psychiatry and neurology. Prior to moving to Washington, DC, he was Chief of the Neurology Service at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. At the MedStar Georgetown Memory Disorders Program, Dr Turner and his team offer diagnostic services as well as clinical care for older individuals with cognitive disorders. The program’s research is increasingly focused on individuals in the earliest disease stage—when new treatments may be most effective.Eric G. Rodriguez, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Medical Director of Collaborative Care Management
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, PA
Dr Eric G. Rodriguez is Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, as well as the Medical Director of Collaborative Care Management at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He received his medical degree from George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr Rodriguez completed a residency in internal medicine at George Washington University Medical Center, followed by an additional residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire. Board certified in Internal Medicine and Geriatric Medicine, he also serves as a Geriatrics medical consultant at the UPMC Senior Care-Benedum Geriatric Center at UPMC Montefiore Hospital. Dr Rodriguez has practiced geriatric medicine for 36 years, across inpatient, outpatient, and long-term care settings. He has worked at the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center for approximately 15 years, and his primary expertise is in the care of patients with complex, interacting comorbidity and polypharmacy, especially those suffering from dementia.| 1. | DIFFERENTIATE between normal aging and cognitive, functional, and behavioral domain changes that occur during the early stages of AD | 2. | DESCRIBE the strengths and limitations of assessment tools used in clinical practice and clinical research settings for the screening and diagnosis of early AD |
| 3. | EMPLOY best clinical practices for the screening and diagnosis of early AD, including the use of validated clinical assessment tools |
| 1. | DIFFERENTIATE between normal aging and cognitive, functional, and behavioral domain changes that occur during the early stages of AD |
| 2. | DESCRIBE the strengths and limitations of assessment tools used in clinical practice and clinical research settings for the screening and diagnosis of early AD |
| 3. | EMPLOY best clinical practices for the screening and diagnosis of early AD, including the use of validated clinical assessment tools |
SPONSORSHIP & SUPPORT
This educational activity is jointly provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and Spire Learning.
This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Biogen MA, Inc.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, with growing prevalence as the United States population ages. In older adults, the differences between normal age-related cognitive changes and the cognitive changes of Alzheimer’s dementia can be subtle; as such, the diagnosis of early AD requires clinicians to accurately assess and track patient cognition, function, and behavior over time through the effective use of validated assessment tools. However, despite modern clinical advancements evolving our understanding of AD, many patients with AD are either misdiagnosed or diagnosed late in the course of disease, and as a result may not be recognized for inclusion in ongoing clinical trials. Join our expert faculty as they provide a foundational review of the differences between normal aging and cognitive, functional, as well as behavioral domain changes that occur during the early stages of AD. Understand the importance of recognizing early signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and the utility of using validated clinical assessment tools to achieve early and accurate diagnosis.
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for this educational initiative is primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) and neurologists, particularly community neurologists.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this educational activity, learners should be better able to:
- DIFFERENTIATE between normal aging and cognitive, functional, and behavioral domain changes that occur during the early stages of AD
- DESCRIBE the strengths and limitations of assessment tools used in clinical practice and clinical research settings for the screening and diagnosis of early AD
- EMPLOY best clinical practices for the screening and diagnosis of early AD, including the use of validated clinical assessment tools
ACCREDITATION AND CREDIT DESIGNATION 
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and Spire Learning, LLC. AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Physicians
AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare designates this enduring material for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
HOW TO RECEIVE CREDIT
To obtain a certificate of completion, a score of 70% or better on the post-test is required. Please proceed with the activity until you have successfully completed this program, answered all test questions, completed the post-test and evaluation, and have received a digital copy of your certificate. You must participate in the entire activity to receive credit. There is no fee to participate in this activity. If you have questions about this activity, please contact AKH Inc. at JGoldman@akhcme.com.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST STATEMENT
It is the policy of AKH Inc. to ensure independence, balance, objectivity, scientific rigor, and integrity in all of its continuing education activities. The planners and faculty must disclose to the participants any significant relationships with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients or with the commercial supporter of this accredited continuing education activity. Identified conflicts of interest are mitigated by AKH prior to the planners/faculty assuming their role in this accredited continuing education activity.
PLANNING COMMITTEE
R. Scott Turner, MD, PhD
Director, Memory Disorders Program
Vice Chair for Clinical Research
Professor, Department of Neurology
Georgetown University Medical Center
Washington, DC
Disclosures:
Researcher: Alector; Biogen; Eisai Inc; Eli Lilly and Co; Roche
Associate Professor of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Medical Director of Collaborative Care Management
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Pittsburgh, PA
Disclosures:
Dr Rodriguez has no financial relationship with any commercial interests to disclose.
All of the relevant financial relationships listed for these individuals have been mitigated.
EDUCATIONAL PLANNING COMMITTEE
AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare
None of the planners for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Spire Learning
Mairead Early, Andrew Kim, and Allison Goldberg, MPA: No relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose.
AKH Reviewer
Bernadette Makar, MSN, APRN-BC, NP-C: No relevant financial relationships with any commercial interests.
OFF-LABEL STATEMENT
This educational activity may include discussion of uses of agents that are investigational and/or unapproved by the FDA. Please refer to the official prescribing information for each product for discussion of approved indications, contraindications, and warnings.
DISCLAIMER
This course is designed solely to provide the healthcare professional with information to assist in his/her practice and professional development and is not to be considered a diagnostic tool to replace professional advice or treatment. The course serves as a general guide to the healthcare professional, and therefore, cannot be considered as giving legal, nursing, medical, or other professional advice in specific cases. AKH Inc. specifically disclaims responsibility for any adverse consequences resulting directly or indirectly from information in the course, for undetected error, or through participant’s misunderstanding of the content.
PRIVACY POLICY:
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https://www.akhcme.com/privacy-policy/
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Spire Learning, LLC, is committed to protecting the privacy of personal information from our participants and educational collaborators. Spire maintains physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of personal information.
Collection and Use of Your Personal Information
The submission of certain personally identifiable information is necessary to award and track the credits participants may earn after completing an activity. Required items include first name, last name, degree, and email address. These items are necessary. Participants are also required to complete an evaluation of each activity. All evaluative information submitted is collected and retained, and used by Spire Learning, LLC, to continuously improve the learning experience.
Spire Learning, LLC, will not transfer, sell, or share personal information with outside parties or otherwise disclose personal information unless required to in a legal process. Spire will retain your personal data only for the period necessary to accomplish the stated purposes and to comply with applicable laws.
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION:
Copyright © 2022 by Spire Learning, LLC and AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare. All rights reserved including translation into other languages. No part of this publication or activity may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, without prior written permission of Spire Learning, LLC.
CONTACT
If you have questions about this activity, please contact AKH Inc. at JGoldman@akhcme.com.
COURSE VIEWING REQUIREMENTS
| Supported Browsers: Microsoft Edge Google Chrome 60 or higher Mozilla Firefox 60 or higher Apple Safari 11.0 or higher For video, install the latest version of Quicktime. | Supported Phones & Tablets: iOS 9.3 and higher Android 7.0 (Nougat or higher) Microsoft Windows 8 Chrome OS |
| Additional Recommendations and Requirements | |
| Display Resolution & Color Depth | Resolution - 960 X 768 minimum - 1024 X 768 recommended min. Color Depth - 8 bits (256 colors) minimum - 16 bits (High colors) minimum |
| Audio | - Microphone - Speakers or headphones - Audio recording support |
| Word Processing | Software that can open, modify, and save documents in Rich Text Format (RTF). Microsoft Word and PowerPoint are recommended. |
