- With Mayo Clinic clinical neuropsychologist
Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
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Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
Dr. Glenn Smith is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Smith, a Lincoln, Neb., native, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1990 and works with neurologists, psychiatrists, internists, social workers and nurses involved in diagnosing and providing care for people with dementia and their families.
"For Alzheimer's disease, there is currently no cure," he says. "The best 'medicine' for patient and family remains education and support. Hopefully, Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's disease Web resources contribute to compassionate care and understanding for Alzheimer's families."
Dr. Smith is a professor of psychology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, a consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, and principal investigator of the Mayo Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Education Core. He is past president of the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology.
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Question
Rapid-onset Alzheimer's: Could it be something else?
My mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. But she seems to be deteriorating at a very rapid rate. Everything I've read about Alzheimer's says that it has a slow progression. What can you tell me about this?
Answer
from Glenn Smith, Ph.D.
Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease, which usually implies a slow progression. However, rarely Alzheimer's can progress more rapidly — over weeks or months instead of years.
A rapid progression may also suggest that a second type of dementia is complicating the Alzheimer's — such as vascular dementia or Lewy body disease. In addition, rapid progression may indicate another condition that mimics the symptoms of Alzheimer's, such as:
- Infections that affect the central nervous system, such as HIV and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- A side effect of certain medications, such as anticholinergic drugs and narcotic pain relievers
- Vitamin B-12 deficiency
- Depression
- Hypothyroidism
A prompt and thorough medical evaluation is important to determine the exact cause of rapidly progressing dementia. Some causes are treatable.
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