Distinguished Windham Hospital Neurologist Featured in Community Forum
Dr. Ajay Shukla leads discussion on the best treatments for dementia and Alzheimer’s
A large group of local residents came out to the Beckish Senior Center in Columbia last month to learn more about dementia and Alzheimer’s from the director of the Windham Hospital Neurodiagnostic Center. Dr. Ajay Shukla presented “A Dementia Update” to the audience covering the areas of anatomy and physiology of the brain and nervous system, how dementia is defined, how it affects an individual, and the newest and best treatments available today. The program was presented as part of the Windham Hospital Senior Health Resources program (www.SeniorHealthResourcesCT.org).
Formerly a distinguished faculty member and physician at Duke University Medical Center, Dr. Shukla is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, and currently serves on the faculty at the University of Connecticut.
According to Dr. Shukla, Dementia is a degenerative disorder of the brain’s nerve cells which causes the nerve cells to die over time. “There is a slow destruction of brain cells that naturally occurs with the aging process, but dementia causes a rapid shrinking and reduction of brain cells which result in loss of memory and thinking abilities,” Dr. Shukla said. “The reason” he stated, “is related to a chemical neurotransmitter called acetylcholine and acetylcholine is important in the brain’s ability to form new memories. With dementia there is a progressive loss of acetylcholine.” The result is plaque formation and neurofibrillary tangles-the hallmark signs of dementia seen in the brains of people suffering from dementia.
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the many types of dementia. Others include but are not limited to vascular problems due to alcoholism, AIDS, brain injury, drug toxicity, meningitis or Lewy body dementia (LBD), a progressive brain disease.
Anyone exhibiting symptoms should discuss their concerns with their primary care physician. If the doctor believes there is reason to suspect an issue, the patient can then be referred to a neurologist for a thorough diagnostic battery of tests. This should include blood work and a CT scan or MRI to rule out any underlying medical reasons for deterioration in mental functioning, and neurological and psychological evaluations to determine impairments in thought processing and memory. All of these services are available at Windham Hospital.
Early Diagnosis & Treatment is Critical
According to Dr. Shukla, there is no cure for dementia, but early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to slowing the progression of the disease. “There are medications that can help such as Aricept and Razadyne. These are called Cholinesterase inhibitors and they work by blocking the breakdown of acetylcholine, making acetylcholine more available to the brain cells,” Dr. Shukla said, “this improves the brain’s ability to make new memories.” Namenda is another new medication which acts on other types of brain receptors. “There are many studies being done and medications being tested that may contribute greatly to the treatment of dementia in the future.” Dr. Shukla added.
For questions and answers Dr. Shukla was joined by his Windham Hospital colleague EMG Technologist Kim Butler. The duo fielded questions and provided answers about genetic testing, medication administration, and medication side effects.
Dr. Shukla and Ms. Butler perform electromyograms (EMGs) nerve conduction studies (NCVs, and electroencephalograms (EEGs) at Windham Hospital. For more information about the services of the Windham Hospital Neurodiagnostic Center please call: 860-456-6121 or the visit the hospital website at www.windhamhospital.org. For a list of services and links to other resources related to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease log on to www.SeniorHealthResourcesCT.org. To schedule a talk by a Windham Hospital expert in your community, please contact the Windham Hospital Community Relations office at 860-456-6700.
Windham Hospital is a 130-bed acute care hospital with a staff of more than 800 committed to excellence in quality and service for residents of the region. For nearly 80 years Windham Hospital has been renowned for its outstanding physicians and extraordinary nursing care and today offers a unique combination of talent and technology in patient care as a member of Hartford Healthcare, Connecticut’s premiere healthcare system.
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