An 81-year-old man presents with severe Alzheimer dementia. His history includes benign prostatic hypertrophy with 2 transurethral resections. He has a remote history of tobacco use and has not used alcohol excessively. He is otherwise in good health. At the time of his original diagnosis, a cholinesterase inhibitor was not prescribed. More>>

Alzheimer dementia (AD) represents a profound global health concern. By the year 2050, the prevalence of AD in the United States is expected to reach 15 million. At present, there are 4.5 million cases in the United States, which equals an estimated cost of $100 billion each year in medical and family expenses. More>>

Many physicians, including psychiatrists, may shy away from seeing elderly patients with symptoms of dementia because they imagine that there are a large number of alternative diagnoses and that differential diagnosis is complicated. In fact, however, the number of possible diagnoses in most situations is relatively small and the diagnosis of dementia in older patients is certainly feasible in primary care psychiatry. More>>