Dennis Fortier

Caring.com Expert

About

Dennis Fortier, MA, MBA, authors the Brain Today blog, distilling the daily news about advances in the areas of brain health, memory loss, and Alzheimer's disease. A strong advocate for the benefits of early identification and timely intervention against medical conditions that impair brain function, Fortier serves as the president and CEO of Medical Care Corporation, a neuroinformatics company that develops assessment technologies to enable physicians to objectively evaluate memory and other cognitive functions in their patients. He earned a master's degree in sociology from the University of California, Irvine, and an MBA from Cornell University.

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Recently Published on Caring.com

  1. Wednesday July 27, 2011

    1. What are some tips I can use to improve my memory?

      Answer - There is a lot of press and a fair amount of hype in the area of improving memory. As such, your question is probably one that many others have on their minds.

  2. Monday November 22, 2010

    1. Can new brain cell development slow the progression of Alzheimer's?

      Answer - It is not clear that rigorous mental work, of the types you described, actually leads to the development of new brain cells. However, it is well established that new connections are formed between existing brain cells when new information is learned. Additionally, old connections get strengthened when used to recall previously stored information...

  3. Tuesday July 06, 2010

    1. Can a person with dementia travel abroad alone?

      Answer - While the term "dementia" has a very specific clinical definition, some physicians use it casually to describe a varying degree of impairment due to numerous medical conditions. Whether or not your father can travel alone depends on how impaired he is, what is causing the impairment, and what realms of his mental capacity are most diminished...

  4. Monday July 05, 2010

    1. What kind of memory loss test should I use? My mom is...

      Answer - The most important thing to understand is that a memory loss test, regardless of which one you choose, is not a replacement for a medical evaluation by a physician. Many conditions can impair memory, including some very common and easy to diagnose problems like depression and thyroid disorders...

  5. Friday May 21, 2010

    1. Can Alzheimer's go into a remission of sorts?

      Answer - To answer this question, I think it is important to appreciate the following important aspect of Alzheimer's disease; most patients with Alzheimer's disease also have other medical conditions that can contribute to impaired thinking. This means that the patient's memory, judgment, and verbal abilities...

  6. Wednesday May 05, 2010

    1. Does Mild Cognitive Impairment Mean Dementia Later On?

      Answer - The most important thing to remember about Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is that it is a "symptom" and not a "disease". It merely means that your ability to remember, or to use sound judgment, or to think in general, has been subtly affected by some medical condition. With this perspective, your question becomes rather straight forward...

  7. Tuesday March 09, 2010

    1. How is dementia diagnosed, and will it become Alzheimer's?

      Answer - Many people ask about the steps involved in diagnosing dementia and wonder about the accuracy of the process. To answer the question meaningfully, I think it best to clarify the term "dementia".

  8. Tuesday November 03, 2009

    1. Alzheimer’s Awareness: Why Bother?

      Blog Post - As you may have read elsewhere, November is National Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. But surely, the public is already well aware of this horrible disease. After all, Alzheimer’s has directly affected approximately one in every two families, and the others must have certainly noted its prominent coveroverage in the news...