Home ::> Programs ::> Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders Program
Clinical Activities
With our team of clinicians, we evaluate patients with a range of neurodegenerative and other geriatric cognitive disorders.
Neurologists: Dr. Howard Feldman, Dr. Dean Foti, and Dr. Robin Hsiung
Geriatricians: Dr. Lynn Beattie and Dr. Philip Lee
Geriatric Psychiatrist: Dr. Margo Genge
The Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders is the main tertiary care referral center in B.C. for dementia assessment and management. New referrals are evaluated by a range of multidisciplinary assessments including genetic counseling, social work, neuropsychology, geriatrics, geriatric psychiatry and neurology each of which make seminal contributions to the multifaceted clinical care needed for dementia patients and their families.
The clinic is also recognized as one of the most accomplished specialty clinics and clinical dementia research centers in Canada. To learn more about the clinic, please click here.
Research Activities
Dr. Howard Feldman (PI) and Dr. Ian MacKenzie (co-PI) with co-investigators (Dr. Robin Hsiung, Dr. Claudia Jacova, Dr. Brad Hallam, Dr. Blair Leavitt, Dr. Jon Stoessl, and Dr. Dessa Sadovnick) have successfully renewed a CIHR grant to continue examining the clinical, genetic, and pathological biomarkers of Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration with Ubiquitinated Inclusions. Since our discovery of mutations in progranulin as a common cause of familial Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and the identification of TDP-43 as the major protein component of the ubiquitinated inclusions, FTD continues to be a key area of research progress within the unit. The current focus is to discover the gene responsible for FTD-ALS syndrome in collaboration with researchers at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Claudia Jacova is researching the role of neuroimaging using MRI and PET as early markers of FTD, and Dr. Robin Hsiung has established a lab with Dr. Ian Mackenzie to examine novel blood biomarkers in FTD and other dementias. Funding from the Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation, through Dr. Jon Stoessl (PI), to examine overlap syndromes also helps to support this research program.
In Alzheimer research, we have been involved in a number of industry sponsored studies examining novel approaches to slow down the rate of progression in Alzheimer Disease.
Dr. Robin Hsiung is examining the role of computer games in cognitive training for patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Our team is collaborating with researchers at University of Victoria in a series of studies to examine the long term outcome of cholinesterase treatment in patients with Alzheimer Disease.
Dr. Claudia Jacova is investigating in a multi-site project treatment response within the ADTI on a newly developed instrument: The Clinical Meaningfulness in Alzheimer Disease Treatment (CLIMAT) scale.
We continue to participate in the NIH sponsored Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)
Support large scale Canadian programmatic grants such as the RAPID and the CLSA.
The development of volumetric analytic techniques for MRI in mild cognitive impairment is an ongoing research project.,
Tthe long-term characterization of clinical outcomes in the observational ACCORD cohort study is ongoing.
New initiatives launched by Drs. Jacova and Hsiung include the development of a computer-based cognitive screening battery for office and online use in B.C., and the piloting of functional MRI studies of music processing in dementia,, and a collaborative study with the physiotherapy group to examine the role of exercise in cognitive performance in patients with vascular cognitive impairment.
Teaching Activities
The Clinic continues to be extremely active in providing teaching to trainees of multiple disciplines at the student, graduate student, resident and fellow levels. We hosted the Canadian-Dutch Colloquium in 2008 with excellent reviews. Clinic members participated extensively in CME activities, and on expert national/ international working groups and advisory committees. Dr. Foti has been a co-chair of the “Dementia Specialists Train the Trainer Program, BC Specialists Practice Assessment”.
Fellows
Dr. Nagaendran Kandiah has completed his fellowship and is now an associate consultant at the National Neurosciences Institute in Singapore. Dr. Itthipol Tawankanjanachot, Neurologist, and Dr. Umamon Puangthong, Geriatric Psychiatrist, have joined us from Thailand to advance their clinical and research skills related to dementia and cognitive disorders.
Public Awareness
The Clinic is very active in public education and its clinicians have also been called on to have a high profile in local, national and international public policy in dementia care. Our members have appeared in Good Times Magazine, Global News, Omni News, CBC Radio, Public Forum (in Kelowna, BC), The Vancouver Courier, Health Report, ABC Radio National (Sydney, Australia), and the Canadian Health Magazine.
Members
Dr. Beckman
Dr. Feldman, Director
Dr. Foti
Dr. HsiungResearch Group:
Dr. Hallam
Dr. Jacova
Dr. Mackenzie
Affiliated Non-Divisional Members
Dr. Beattie
Dr. Lee
Dr. Rabheru