Frequently Asked Questions

  • WHO IS IT FOR

    While we should all be interested in optimizing brain health the program is especially important for those who may:

    • Have a family history of dementia

    • Be experiencing mild cognitive symptoms or “brain fog”

    • Have dementia risk factors such as concussion, sleep apnea, obesity, heavy alcohol or tobacco use or personal/family history of high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, or heart/vascular diseaseDementia prevention is important for all of us to be thinking about.

  • Optimizing brain health is important at every age but the fact is most people really only start to think about it in their 70s or 80s when they start to experience “senile moments” or see friends or family affected.

    We know dementia changes start decades prior to symptoms so for optimal prevention we ideally start in the 40s or 50s, even sooner if you think you have a significant family history. For women, intervening before or during early menopause is particularly beneficial.

    But it’s never too late to optimize brain health, even in the 70s and 80s. We know targeted lifestyle and medical management can often slow down progression, even in those already diagnosed.

  • I do not participate in any insurances but Healthspan Neurology is NOT a concierge practice. There are no premiums or monthly fees beyond what is listed for a specific service. Please see the following pages for details:

    Dementia Prevention

    Neurologic Consultation

    A complimentary 15-minute introductory call is offered to help us decide if my practice is the right fit for your needs.

  • Our insurance based healthcare system is disease focused. In fact there is NO billable insurance code for dementia preventive care in neurology even though nearly HALF of dementia cases are preventable. This means a neurologist will not be paid for dementia preventive within an insurance model.

    Read more about my own journey and motivation to explore dementia prevention.

  • Dementia Prevention should be highly individualized to be most effective and we use data to direct our strategy. All patients will have baseline in-house cognitive testing using an FDA class 2 medical device (included in my charges). Bloodwork will almost always include advanced lipids, hormone, nutritional, metabolic and inflammatory testing (non-routine).

    We will also discuss whether genetic testing might be appropriate for you, what it could mean in terms of your risk and most importantly, what would you gain by knowing this information.

    Further testing may also include:

    • NeuroQuant MRI

    • Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)

    • body composition

    • coronary CT calcium scan

    • vascular imaging

    • sleep study

    • exercise physiology testing

    • serum amlyoid/tau biomarkers

  • Most testing will be done at a local lab or imaging facility near you and some of this may be directly covered by your insurance.

    There is some testing that I know insurance will almost definitely not cover. In these cases, although I can not guarantee charges from an outside facility, I can provide information about the fees that they have set.

    I will always consider cost/benefit when prioritizing testing and will try to help get prior authorization for testing when possible.

  • Definitely! Lifestyle changes can have tremendous value in slowing down progression of dementia. I welcome you to schedule an introductory phone call to discuss your needs and determine whether the Dementia Prevention Pathway or the Neurologic Consultation Pathway are appropriate for you.

  • I do! I’ve been a general neurologist for over 25 years and have expertise in diagnosing and managing a broad array of conditions such as epilepsy, migraine, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy and neuromuscular disorders, gait and movement disorders (such as Parkinsons Disease) as well as dementia (such as Alzheimers Disease). I invite you to call me to learn more about my general neurologic consultation services.

  • No, I do not.

  • Amazing! You have already built the foundations of optimizing your brain health. So now let’s work smarter, not harder!

    Although many individuals may appear and feel healthy, advanced diagnostic tools can uncover hidden risks that we then target and address strategically.

    These specialized tests are not standard practice, and even when conducted, most physicians aren’t sure of their importance or have a higher tolerance for abnormal since they aren’t looking at it from the perspective of your brain. 

    The Dementia Prevention Pathway will 1) identify your healthspan goals 2) determine your individual risk factors so you know how to prioritize your efforts 3) objectively measure your progress over time to keep you motivated 4) break it down for you into a simple stepwise strategy and personalized tactics 5) hold you accountable.

    We are in it for the long game!

  • I really value the in-person experience but understand that telemedicine is often more convenient or all that’s possible.

    Home visits are also an option for patients with mobility issues.

    I invite you to discuss your preferences during our introductory phone call.

  • Over 21 years I built many special relationships with my patients and their families and I miss them dearly. I invite prior patients to call to find out if the Neurologic Consultation pathway is an appropriate option for prior patients if they feel that a single visit would be helpful to review their status, medications and other treatment modalities.