Who should I go to if I suspect Alzheimer's disease?

Maurizio Grimaldi, MD, PhD

Your family doctor can suspect the disease but they may not be qualified to diagnosis the disease. Therefore they can request that you see a specialist.

Usually, Alzheimer’s disease is best diagnosed by a neurologist experienced in the disease diagnosis. Other professionals can be involved in the diagnosis making process.

A psychologist or psychiatrist may be useful to rule out certain conditions that can mimic Alzheimer’s disease such as depression. Therefore, the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is usually one of exclusion.

When all possible organic causes of learning and memory problems have been ruled out and all the tests are compatible with possible Alzheimer’s disease a diagnosis is made.

Sometimes before the diagnostic process is completed, especially in very mild or initial cases, the diagnosis cannot be made accurately. In a few cases the entire diagnostic period can last a relatively long time.

Maurizio Grimaldi, MD, Ph.D. is the Leader of the Neuropharmacology/neuroscience Laboratory at Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. Dr. Grimaldi graduated from medical school magna cum laude from the University of Napoli in Italy, one of the oldest and most prestigious academic institutions in Italy. Specializing in clinical pharmacology, Dr. Grimaldi obtained his PhD in neuropharmacology and toxicology from the same University. At Southern Research Dr. Grimaldi directs the laboratory of neuropharmacology where he conducts researches on brain physiology and  on novel treatment agents for CNS diseases such as Alzheimer’s and brain tumors. Dr. Grimaldi also directs the commercial activities for the Neuropharmacology Laboratory at Southern Research, including low-throughput screening. He is co-investigator in the NIH-NINDS Drug Screening for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Stroke. In this capacity, he supervises assay transfer from submitting investigators to the high-throughput screening facility. Visit him at www.SouthernResearch.com.