3482 - What is the Normal Aging Brain versus Dementia? (Dr. Elena Bettoli-Vaughan)
Course Description
Instructor: Dr. Elena Bettoli-Vaughan
Do you ever walk into a room and have no idea why? Forget the third item on the list? Take longer to complete a task? Worry you have Alzheimer's? This course will examine the cognitive functioning of the aging brain - what is normal, what is not. We will review the countless factors that can influence cognitive functioning, that have nothing to do with dementia - things that can be 'fixed'. But then, when does cognitive impairment become 'dementia'? How do we diagnose, what are the hallmark symptoms for the most common types of dementia, and what are the treatments. Finally, we will discuss what is involved in a neuropsychological evaluation, what to expect, who should have one, who should not. There will be plenty of time for questions to hopefully dispel some of the myths about this topic.
Bio: Dr. Vaughan earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Emory and practiced in a variety of specialty areas throughout Atlanta hospitals. She then earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Georgia State, completing her Pre- and Post-doctoral fellowships at the University of New Mexico Medical School. Dr. Vaughan’s specialty areas over the majority of her 30+ years in practice were in Neuropsychology from pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders to later, geriatrics and dementia. During those 30+ years, she completed additional post-doctoral training in criminal Forensic Psychology, was a faculty supervisor in Neuropsychology, and taught Psychology courses at the University of New Mexico.