Diagnosing Dementia
Diagnostic testing is at the heart of both the clinical care and research at the Penn Memory Center. Patients and research participants alike undergo various diagnostics such as PET scans, MRI scans, and cognitive tests. These tools help clinicians turn symptoms such as dementia into a diagnosis like Alzheimer’s disease. But what are these tests? And what can they actually tell us about aging?
On Episode 4 of the Age of Aging, we examine the full diagnostic experience.
Our first segment explores MRI and PET scans and what they tell us about the brain. Then, Dr. Lauren Massimo from the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center introduces other dementia-causing diseases beyond Alzheimer’s. We then hear from one couple about their decisions to donate their brains after death to help further aging research. Finally, to end our first season, Dr. Massimo discusses the legacy of her late mentor, and a major figure in the world of aging research, Dr. Murray Grossman.
Resources
Learn more about the studies currently enrolling at the Penn Memory Center
Visit the Penn FTD Center website
Read more about the Kung’s decision to donate their brains
More information on brain donation at PMC
Watch the Dr. Murray Grossman’s full memorial symposium