The increasing prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases throughout the world means that almost all of us have loved ones who are either patients or bear the burden of care for afflicted individuals. Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and other degenerative diseases each present patients with the challenge of chronic illness and complications. Likewise, patients with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries face a prolonged course of rehabilitation and complications as well.
Yale’s Department of Neurology features several programs focused on combating neurodegeneration and facilitating neural repair, both on the clinical and research fronts. The Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center; the Movement Disorders group; the Spine/Neurorehabilitation clinic; and the Program for Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair offer opportunities for patients, clinicians, and researchers to cooperate in advancing care.
The Division of Neurodegenerative Disorders is actively involved in numerous clinical and basic science research studies. In addition to clinical studies being done in the Memory Clinic there are 2 major research programs for patients with neurodegenerative disorders and Alzheimer's Disease:
Under the direction of Dr. Richard Marottoli the Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center at Yale New Haven Hospital is an outpatient consultative service that provides comprehensive assessment of older persons. The Adler Center uses a team approach to work with persons who have medical, psychological, cognitive, or social problems impeding function or threatening independent living. The staff at the Adler Center includes geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, nurse case managers, patient care assistants, physical therapists, and neuropsychologists. The staff works closely with the patient and the family, the patient's physicians, and other care providers to develop a comprehensive plan to help optimize function, independence and quality of life.
The Adler Center helps patients and families by developing linkages with appropriate community services such as home health care agencies, adult day care centers, and volunteer support groups. Moreover, the staff at the Center provides ongoing case management and clinical care as necessary for individual patients, in conjunction with the patient's physician. Finally, the Adler Center serves as an important educational site for interns, residents and fellows in geriatric medicine, as a leading model for other institutions who are developing geriatric programs, and as an important site of patient oriented research in geriatrics.
Dorothy Adler Geriatric Assessment Center
874 Howard Avenue
New Haven, CT 06520
Division Chief
Vincent Coates Professor of Neurology and Professor of Neuroscience; Chair, Neuroscience; Director, Kavli Institute for Neuroscience; Director, Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair; Director, Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Center; Director, Memory Disorders Clinic; Director, Ludwig Program for Neuroimmunity in Dementia
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and of Neurology; Medical Director, Dementia and Behavioral Neurology, Neurology
Dr. Harry M. Zimmerman and Dr. Nicholas and Viola Spinelli Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience; Vice-Chair for Research, Neurology; Director, Center for Experimental Neuroimaging
Associate Professor of Neurology; Division Chief, Neuropsychology; Associate Training Director, Postdoctoral Residency Program, Neuropsychology
Assistant Professor, Academic Clinician Track; Attending Physician, Neurogenetics Program; Member, Program in Neurodevelopment and Regeneration
Associate Professor Neurology; Associate Program Director, Neurology; Director, Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry Fellowship; VA Site Director, Yale Neurology Residency Program