Dementia Center - Reading, PAReading Neurologist Doctors for DementiaType of Physician: Neurologist What is a Neurologist? A certification by the Board of Psychiatry & Neurology; practitioners focus on the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease or impaired function of the brain, spinal cord, muscles and nervous system, as well as the blood vessels that relate to these structures. The neurologist is often the primary physician but also serves as a consultant to other physicians and may render all levels of care, including the continuing care of outpatients and/or inpatients. The neurologist will often perform and interpret tests that relate to the nervous system or muscles. Specialty: Neurology Common Name: Neurologist Doctors in Reading * Gary D Kolva MD  Clifford A Reed MD  The Office of Drs Brzozowski & Flores  The Office of Drs Brzozowski & Flores  Stanford S Feinberg MD  Kelly A Geary DO  Keystone Neurology Consultants PC  Heidar K Jahromi MD  Ephrata Community Hospital Behavioral Health Services  Ephrata Community Hospital Behavioral Health Services  Neurology and Stroke Associates  Neurology and Stroke Associates  Neurology and Stroke Associates  Neurology and Stroke Associates  Neurologic Care & Diagnostic Center  Neurological Associates  Neurological Associates  Mohammad Aslam MD  John B Chawluk MD  Neuro Care Associates Inc  Neuro Care Associates Inc  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Robert M Roeshman DO  Lehigh Neurology  Lehigh Neurology  Julie T Fieschko MD  St Lukes Neurological Associates  St Lukes Neurological Associates  St Lukes Neurological Associates  St Lukes Neurological Associates  Good Shepherd Physician Group  EMG Neurology Center of Lebanon  Neurology Consultants  Neurology Consultants  The Neurology Group  The Neurology Group  The Neurology Group  The Neurology Group  The Neurology Group  The Neurology Group  Pediatric Neurology Associates  Jennersville Neurology  Chester County Neurology  Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital  Sacred Heart Medical Associates Neurology  Pennsylvania Neurologic Associates PC  Pennsylvania Neurologic Associates PC  Pennsylvania Neurologic Associates PC  Pennsylvania Neurologic Associates PC  Neurologic Group  Neurologic Group  St Luke's Neurological Associates  St Luke's Neurological Associates  Neurology of Bethlehem PC  Neurology & Sleep Medicine PC  Children's Hospital Philadelphia Neurology  The Pediatric Specialty Clinic of the Lehigh Valley  The Pediatric Specialty Clinic of the Lehigh Valley  Neurology & Pain Management Clinic  Kalpana A Chikarmane MD & Ajit Chikarmane MD  The Neurology Group  Center For Neuroscience  Center For Neuroscience  Center For Neuroscience  Regina T Durkin MD  Sacks & Striar Neurological Associates PC  Sacks & Striar Neurological Associates PC  Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists  Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists  Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists  Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists  Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists  Bryn Mawr Medical Specialists  Neurology headache and pain Management  Hershey Medical Center Neurology  Hershey Medical Center  Hershey Medical Center  Hershey Medical Center  Hershey Medical Center Neurology  Neurological Associates of Delaware Valley  Neurological Associates of Delaware Valley  Neurological Associates of Delaware Valley  Neurological Associates of Delaware Valley  Howard J Caplan MD  Stephen M Gollomp MD  Robert Slater MD  KIND Clinic-Knobler Institute of Neurologic Disease PC  Ancha Toshniwal & Toshniwal MDs  Ancha Toshniwal & Toshniwal MDs  Gregory Tramuta MD  Michael M Cohen MD  Ravi Sapra MD Reading, PennsylvaniaUpcoming Local Events2012-05-26
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DementiaIntroduction to DementiaA woman in her early 50s was admitted to a hospital because of increasingly odd behavior. Her family reported that she had been showing memory problems and strong feelings of jealousy. She also had become disoriented at home and was hiding objects. During a doctor's examination, the woman was unable to remember her husband's name, the year, or how long she had been at the hospital. She could read but did not seem to understand what she read, and she stressed the words in an unusual way. She sometimes became agitated and seemed to have hallucinations and irrational fears. This woman, known as Auguste D., was the first person reported to have the disease now known as Alzheimer's disease (AD) after Alois Alzheimer, the German doctor who first described it. After Auguste D. died in 1906, doctors examined her brain and found that it appeared shrunken and contained several unusual features, including strange clumps of protein called plaques and tangled fibers inside the nerve cells. Memory impairments and other symptoms of dementia, which means "deprived of mind," had been described in older adults since ancient times. However, because Auguste D. began to show symptoms at a relatively early age, doctors did not think her disease could be related to what was then called "senile dementia. "The word senile is derived from a Latin term that means, roughly, "old age." It is now clear that Alzheimer's disease is a major cause of dementia in elderly people as well as in relatively young adults. Furthermore, we know that it is only one of many disorders that can lead to dementia. The U. S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment estimates that as many as 6.8 million people in the United States have dementia, and at least 1.8 million of those are severely affected. Studies in some communities have found that almost half of all people age 85 and older have some form of dementia. Although it is common in very elderl... Recommended Reading Related to DementiaLyme disease facts
What is Lyme disease? What causes Lyme disease?Lyme disease is a bacterial illness caused by a bacterium called a "spirochete." In the United States, the actual name of the bacterium is Borrelia burgdorferi. In Europe, another bacterium, Borrelia afzelii, also causes Lyme disease. Certain ticks found on deer harbor the bacterium in their stomachs. Lyme disease is spread by these ticks when they bite th... Other Related Dementia ArticlesEmergency Contact for Reading
Nearby Reading Hospitals *The Reading Hospital & Medical Center HEALTHSOUTH Reading Rehabilitation Hospital St Joseph Medical Center Wernersville State Hospital Ephrata Community Hospital Pottstown Memorial Medical Center Brandywine Hospital Coatesville VA Medical Center Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center Lebanon VA Medical Center Saint John Vianney Hospital The Good Samaritan Hospital KidsPeace Children's Hospital Phoenixville Hospital Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest Schuylkill Medicall Center South Jackson Street Schuylkill Medical Center East Norwegian Street Lancaster General Hospital Philhaven Lancaster General Women & Babies Hospital St Luke's Hospital Allentown Campus Lancaster Regional Medical Center Lancaster Rehabilitation Hospital Malvern Institute Lehigh Valley Hospital 17th & Chew Streets Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Allentown Eagleville Hospital Paoli Hospital The Chester County Hospital Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital LifeCare Hospitals of Chester County Sacred Heart Hospital St Luke's Quakertown Hospital Devereux Beneto Children's Behavioral Health Center Grand View Hospital Valley Forge Medical Center & Hospital Allentown State Hospital Montgomery County Emergency Service St Luke's Miners Memorial Hospital Norristown State Hospital St Luke's Hospital Bethlehem Campus Westfield Hospital Montgomery Hospital Good Shepherd Home Bethlehem Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg Center Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
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Related Diseases & Conditions
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Lyme Disease
- Lyme disease is a bacterial illness, which is spread by ticks when they bite the skin. Initially the disease affects the skin causing a reddish rash associated with flu-like symptoms. It takes weeks to months after the initial redness of the skin for its effects to spread throughout the body. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. Lyme disease can be prevented by using tick avoidance techniques.
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Dehydration
- Dehydration is the excessive loss of body water. There are a number of causes of dehydration including heat exposure, prolonged vigorous exercise, and some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The best way to treat dehydration is to prevent it from occurring.
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Brain Tumor
- A brain tumor can be either benign (non cancerous) or malignant (cancerous), primary, or secondary. Causes and risk factors include age, gender, family history, and exposure to chemicals. Symptoms range from headaches, leg and feet numbness to seizures. Treatment is dependant upon the type and location of the brain tumor.
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Stroke
- A stroke results from impaired oxygen delivery to brain cells via the bloodstream. A stroke is also referred to as a CVA, or cerebrovascular incident. Symptoms of stroke include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance, and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency.
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Human Immunodeficiency Virus
- HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV is a type of virus called a retrovirus, which infects humans when it comes in contact with a break in the skin or tissues such as those that line the vagina, anal area, mouth, or eyes.
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Alcoholism
- Alcoholism is a disease that includes alcohol craving and continued drinking despite repeated alcohol-related problems, such as losing a job or getting into trouble with the law.
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Hematoma
- A hematoma is a collection of blood that is outside a blood vessel. There are different areas where hematomas occur including the inside the skull, scalp, ear, septum, bones, finger and toenails, and intra-abdominal. Treatment for hematomas depend on the type and location of the hematoma.
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Hypoglycemia
- Hypoglycemia is a syndrome caused by low blood sugar. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include palpitations, trembling, intense hunger, sweating, nervousness, and weakness. Consuming lifesavers, table sugar, soda, and juice are good treatment options for hypoglycemia.
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Parkinson's Disease
- Parkinson's disease is a slowly progressive neurologic disease characterized by a fixed inexpressive face, a tremor at rest, slowing of voluntary movements, a gait with short accelerating steps, peculiar posture and muscle weakness, caused by degeneration of an area of the brain called the basal ganglia, and by low production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Most patients are over 50, but at least 10 percent are under 40.
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Heart Attack
- Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack can cause chest pain, heart failure, and electrical instability of the heart.
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Pernicious Anemia
- Pernicious anemia is a blood disorder in which the body does not make enough red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12 in the blood. Pernicious anemia can develop from a lack of a protein that helps the body absorb vitamin B12, not getting enough B12 in the diet, and certain intestinal conditions that interfere with the absorption of vitamin B12 such as Crohn's disease, celiac sprue, or ulcerative colitis. There is no cure for pernicious anemia, thus treatment is life-long.
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Huntington's Disease
- Huntington's disease is the result of degeneration of neurons in areas of the brain. Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder. Early symptoms include mood swings, apathy, depression, and anger uncharacteristic of the individual. Judgement, memory, and other cognitive functions may become impaired. Presymptomatic testing is available for individuals who have a family history of Huntington's disease. Treatment includes medication and therapy for symptoms.
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Hydrocephalus
- Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. The fluid is often under increased pressure and can compress and damage the brain. Symptoms of hydrocephalus vary with age, progression of the disease, and individual tolerance to the condition. Hydrocephalus is most often treated by surgery in which a shunt system is inserted.
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Tremors
- Tremor is the involuntary movements of one or more parts of the body. Causes of tremor include neurological disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs, mercury poisoning, overactive thyroid and liver failure. There are several types of tremor. Treatment depends upon the type of tremor and availability of medications for the condition.
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Vasculitis
- Vasculitis is a general term for a group of uncommon diseases which feature inflammation of the blood vessels. Each form of vasculitis has its own characteristic pattern of symptoms. The diagnosis of vasculitis is definitively established after a biopsy of involved tissue demonstrates the pattern of blood vessel inflammation. Treatment is directed toward decreasing the inflammation of the arteries and improving the function of affected organs.
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Overactive Bladder
- Overactive bladder is a sudden involuntary contraction of the muscle wall of the bladder causing urinary urgency (an immediate unstoppable need to urinate). Overactive bladder is is a form of urinary incontinence. Treatment options may include Kegel exercises, biofeedback, vaginal weight training, pelvic floor electrical stimulation, behavioral therapy, and medications.
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Encephalopathy
- Encephalopathy means brain disease, damage, or malfunction. Causes of encephalopathy are varied and numerous. The main symptom of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Other symptoms include lethargy, dementia, seizures, tremors, and coma. Treatment of encephalopathy depends on the type of encephalopathy (anoxia, diabetic, Hashimoto's, hepatic, hyper - hypotensive, infectious, metabolic, infections, uremic, or Wernicke's) are examples of types of encephalopathy.
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Alzheimer's Disease
- Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia. Symptoms and warning signs of Alzheimer's disease include memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, disorientation to time and place, misplacing things, and more. The biggest risk factor for Alzheimer's disease is increased age. Treatment for Alzheimer's is often targeted toward decreasing the symptoms and progression of the disease.
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Hypercalcemia (Elevated Calcium Levels)
- Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood are elevated. Hypercalcemia is associated with other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney failure, and elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, kidney stones, to name a few. Treatment depends on the cause of hypercalcemia.
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Insomnia
- Insomnia is the perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep because of difficulty falling asleep; waking up frequently during the night with difficulty returning to sleep; waking up too early in the morning; or unrefreshing sleep. Secondary insomnia is the most common type of insomnia. Treatment for insomnia include lifestyle changes, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medication.
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Meningitis
- Encephalitis is a brain inflammation that causes sudden fever, vomiting, headache, light sensitivity, stiff neck and back, drowsiness, and irritability. Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of meningitis include high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck.
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Aphasia
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Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA, Mini-Stroke)
- When a portion of the brain loses blood supply, through a blood clot or embolus, a transient ischemic attack (TIA, mini-stroke) may occur. If the symptoms do not resolve, a stroke most likely has occurred. Symptoms of TIA include: confusion, weakness, lethargy, and loss of function to one side of the body. Risk factors for TIA include vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Treatment depends upon the severity of the TIA, and whether it resolves.
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Brain Lesions (Lesions on the Brain)
- Brain lesions (lesions on the brain) are caused by trauma, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancers, other diseases, stroke, bleeding, pituitary adenomas, and cerebral palsy. Symptoms of brain lesions include headache, nausea, fever, neck pain and stiffness, affected vision and speech, weakness or paralysis to one side of the body. Diagnosis of brain lesions is generally with imaging studies like CT or MRI scans. Treatment and prognosis of brain lesions depends on the cause of the lesion.
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease) is a neurological disease that progresses rapidly. The disease attacks the nerve cells responsible for the control of voluntary muscles. Early symptoms include cramping, twitching, or stiffness of the muscles; slurred nasal speech; difficulty swallowing or chewing, and muscle weakness in an arm or leg. Currently, the cause of ALS is not known. ALS is a fatal disease. No cure has been found for ALS, however, the drug riluzole (Rilutek) is FDA approved, and this drug reduces the damage to motor neurons by decreasing the release of glutamate.
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Mitochondrial Disease
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Pick Disease
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MELAS Syndrome
- MELAS syndrome, a rare form of dementia, stands for Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like episodes. Mutations in the genetic material (DNA) in the mitochondria cause MELAS syndrome. Symptoms of MELAS include brain dysfunction (encephalopathy) with seizures and headaches, muscle disease with lactic acid build-up in the blood, temporary local paralysis, and abnormal thinking (dementia). There is no known treatment for MELAS.
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Advance Medical Directives (Living Will, Power of Attorney, and Health Care Proxy)
- Advance directives are designed to outline a person's wishes and preferences in regard to medical treatments and interventions. Advance directives generally fall into three categories: living will, power of attorney, and health-care proxy.
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