How It Works
What happens when you book
Say Hi!
Book an appointment with your care coordinator – your personal guide for the journey
Meet your care team
Meet your doctor and other professionals who have the time and expertise to make a difference
Manage memory loss
Guided by latest treatment guidelines, we provide comprehensive care – including cognitive therapy, CBT, or medications
Risk Reduction
The Isaac Health and Memory Training Program
Memory and cognitive training: Cycles of 6 – 12 sessions of 40 minutes in a 1:1 coaching format to improve your memory to the level of a hobby memory champion
Full risk assessment across the majority of known risk factors for dementia
Optional medical consultation for advice on minimizing your personal risk (paid by insurance or separately)
Cognitive assessment and ongoing monitoring of cognitive function
Care team access and advice – all your questions answered
Did you know that?
40%
Around 40% of dementia cases may be prevented or delayed?
10 years
1 in 3
1 in 3 older adults will develop dementia during their life?
18%
The risk factors of Dementia
Over 40%
of dementia cases are potentially preventable by addressing risk factors
18% of cases
are still preventable in later life
Modified from: https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext;
Cognitive training is effective
Sources: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17179457/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4055506/;https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13607863.2012.667783
FAQs
Research has shown that almost half of dementia cases are potentially preventable by addressing known risk factors. These include both general health factors, environmental factors, medication, and mental activity. At MyIsaacHealth.com we will guide you to identify the risk factors most relevant to you and help you address them. We will also help you boost cognitive function through memory training and coaching. In isolated cases, certain medications may be indicated to control risk factors or boost cognitive function.
While there is a pipeline of potential medications to slow disease progression, there is currently limited medical treatment available. However, there are a few classes of drugs available to slow cognitive decline. See our section on treatment for details. In addition, cognitive interventions, such as cognitive stimulation therapy, has been shown in many cases to be as effective as medications in slowing cognitive decline, building cognitive reserve, and developing compensatory techniques to support living with cognitive decline. Finally, addressing risk factors and maintaining a high level of social and brain activity are the great ways to protect yourself.
Our diagnosis and treatment programs are covered by many forms of insurance. See our section on network coverage for details. For pricing without insurance coverage, see our packages.
Our care team consists of Neurologists, other brain health doctors, psychologists, speech-language therapists, memory coaches and care coordinators.
While in many cases a family physician or neurologist may have sent you our way, you are welcome to sign up without a referral
If your have health insurance, most of our services will be covered under the terms and conditions of your policy. For prices without health insurance, please see our packages.
Our prevention program is available everywhere. We offer all services in New York, North Carolina, and Florida. Individual services are available also in other States – please feel free to call us for advice.
We chose the name “Isaac Health” because it reminds us of three things: one of the most influential brains in human history (Sir Isaac Newton), the longest-lived Biblical figure (Isaac, who lived to 180 years old), and that he name “Isaac” literally means “one who laughs or rejoices”. Our name represents what we ultimately hope to achieve for the people we serve through our mission to promote and preserve brain health: a long, fulfilling life with many moments of genius and joy.
Your question is not covered here? Please contact us.
Assessment
Our assessment process
Diagnosing dementia can be difficult because it requires many tests and expert medical advice. To diagnose the type of dementia, a doctor looks for patterns of lost skills and abilities. New tests can help doctors better diagnose Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
It’s important to diagnose dementia early so doctors can treat any reversible issues and monitor the patient’s condition.
There is no one test to diagnose dementia, so doctors often perform several tests to find the problem. At Isaac Health, we use a set of simple steps to diagnose dementia.
Cognitive and Neuropsychological Tests
We will evaluate your thinking ability. A number of tests measure thinking skills, such as memory, orientation, reasoning and judgment, language skills, and attention. A mental health professional can determine whether depression or another mental health condition is contributing to your symptoms.
Neurological evaluation
Doctors evaluate your memory, language, visual perception, attention, problem-solving, movement, senses, balance, reflexes and other areas.
Brain scans and laboratory tests
CT or MRI. These scans can check for evidence of stroke or bleeding or tumor or hydrocephalus.PET scans. These can show patterns of brain activity and whether the amyloid or tau protein, hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, have been deposited in the brain.Simple blood tests can detect physical problems that can affect brain function, such as vitamin B-12 deficiency or an underactive thyroid gland. Sometimes the spinal fluid is examined for infection, inflammation or markers of some degenerative diseases.
Diagnosis and treatment planning
Your doctor will discuss your diagnosis with you, as well as the best treatment options available. See our page on treatment for what some potential options may include.
Different Forms Of Dementia
Lewy body dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by the deposition of abnormal proteins, called alpha-synuclein, in the brain. The alpha-synuclein clusters result in chemical changes in the brain, leading to symptoms such as abnormal movements, difficulty with thought process, and behavior.
Sometimes it is difficult to diagnose this type of dementia since the symptoms overlap with Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia symptoms. The abnormal movements are similar to those in Parkinson disease, and so this is considered a “Parkinson plus” syndrome. Therefore, evaluation by memory disorder and movement disorder specialists can help reach the correct diagnosis.
Treatment
Dementia Treatment
Although there is no cure for dementia, there are treatments available to reduce symptoms and slow cognitive decline. Brain health experts can provide coordinated care to improve overall brain health.
The goal of treatment is to delay cognitive decline and improve quality of life. This is especially important in cases of Alzheimer’s disease where delaying the onset by just five years can reduce the risk of getting it by 50%.
Medication Treatments
The main medications used to treat Alzheimer’s disease are cholinesterase inhibitors. The three main drugs in this group are donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine. These drugs prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, which helps with memory and learning. Donepezil can treat all stages of Alzheimer’s, while rivastigmine and galantamine are used for mild-to-moderate stages. Another medication, memantine, partially inhibits NMDA receptors in the brain that can cause neuronal injury associated with neurological disorders such as dementia. Memantine is approved for moderate to severe Alzheimer’s and is being studied for other types of cognitive decline like vascular dementia.
Non-Medication Treatments
Non-drug treatments have been shown to be effective in treating Alzheimer’s and dementia. Cognitive therapy (CT) is one such treatment provided by speech language pathologists. CT uses mentally stimulating activities to improve cognitive function, build cognitive reserve, and teach compensatory techniques to minimize the impact of cognitive decline on daily life. It works well in individuals with mild to moderate dementia and mild cognitive impairment. According to a report by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), 72% of participants in cognitive treatment sessions experienced at least one level of improvement in functional communication measures, including memory, spoken language, and problem-solving [1]. [1] American Speech-Language-Hearing Association National Outcomes Measurement Association. (2019). (rep). Adults in Healthcare – Outpatient 2019 (p. 36).
Monitoring and Surveillance
Monitoring and surveillance through cognitive assessments is a great way to track progression for diseases like Alzheimer’s. If one is concerned about changes in memory or experiences problems with thinking, it is always a great idea to consult a specialist like the brain health experts at Isaac Health.
