Introduction     Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease Karen L. Bell, M.D.     Treatment Strategies for Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Mary Sano, Ph.D.     Treatment of Depression, Agitation, and Psychosis in Dementia Davangere P. Devanand, M.D.     Recognition of Vascular Dementia, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Frontotemporal Dementia Lawrence S. Honig, M.D., Ph.D.     Neuropsychology of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Frontotemporal Dementia Penne Sims, Ph.D.     What is Assessed       Neuropsychology in Differential Diagnosis       Screening Measures       Protocol of a Declining Patient         Protocol for Lewy Bodies       Protocol for FTLD       Benefits of Testing     Neuroimaging in Dementia Scott A. Small, M.D.     Genetics of Neurodegenerative Disease: Alzheimer's Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia Jennifer Williamson-Catania, M.S.     Legal and Ethical Issues for Patients with Dementia Daniel G. Fish, Esq.     Posttest         Accreditation     Reference List     Acknowledgements		Neuropsychology of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia with Lewy Bodies, and Frontotemporal Dementia Penne Sims, Ph.D. Benefits of Testing   The role of neuropsychology in dementia is not only helpful in verifying initial diagnoses, but it also helps to measure the rate of progression, provide indications on how deficits are changing over successive evaluations, and measure the efficacy of intervention therapies over repeated evaluations. It is helpful in research, providing sensitive tools for early detection and discrimination of deficits, and it helps provide powerful tools for clinical trials.   With respect to patient care, it can also help identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses and how deficits impact the activities of daily living. This can help us suggest to the family and the patient what he or she is still good at, how to remain productive, and what he or she should and should not try to do. For example, should the patient try to do finances, does he or she need a little help, or should that task be taken over by someone else? Neuropsychological testing also helps estimate the need for and extent of future care.   Neuropsychological testing, however, should not be used as a lone diagnostic tool; it is always most useful in conjunction with a multidisciplinary approach, including psychiatry, psychology, radiology, social work, or others that I have not mentioned.     PREVIOUS | NEXT