Current Science on Alzheimer’s Disease

This presentation will assist advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in any setting to describe the early signs, symptoms, and progression of the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including the pathophysiological changes that occur in the AD brain. APRNs will be able to discuss the public health impacts of AD, including the impact on caregivers and society.

APRNs will learn to recognize the early signs of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that often lead to the progression of dementia to the late-stages of AD and will learn to integrate evidence-based screening tools that can be used to assess for early cognitive decline in primary care settings. APRNs will be able to apply knowledge gained in this presentation to the care of AD patients in all clinical settings, including initiating and managing medications. APRNs will learn the current state of research on medications, diagnostic testing, new therapeutic modalities, and alternative therapies for Alzheimer’s disease, including the most current supporting research, and the importance of caregiver support in the care and outcomes of the AD patient. A review of choosing which medication or treatment modality to use for patients with early, moderate, or late cognitive decline in AD will be discussed. 

Learning Outcome: After completing this learning activity, the participant will be able to assess innovations being used by other professionals in the specialty and evaluate the potential of implementing the improvements into practice.