Shedding the Stigma of a Dementia Diagnosis

05/03/2025 32 min
Shedding the Stigma of a Dementia Diagnosis

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Episode Synopsis

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia in the US, accounting for about 60-80% of all dementia diagnoses. But many people don’t want to talk about their diagnosis publicly – or even amongst family and friends.In today’s episode, Dr. Armen Moughamian and Dr. Emily Silverman continue their discussion about the complexities of Alzheimer's disease, exploring the stigma associated with a diagnosis, and how helping people understand the disease can break down the experience of shame – which in turn can increase the likelihood of people being diagnosed earlier.About this episode’s featured guestDr. Armen Moughamian is a neurologist and Medical Director of the Ray Dolby Brain Health Center at the California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) in San Francisco. He leads a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurse practitioners, neuropsychologists and social workers in the treatment of patients with cognitive impairment. He also heads the clinical trials program at Dolby with a specific focus on Alzheimer's. Armen went to undergrad at UC Berkeley, got an MD PhD at Penn and did neurology residency and fellowship at University of California San Francisco (UCSF).Learn more about Armen by visiting his LinkedIn.About Remo’s host Dr. Emily SilvermanDr. Emily Silverman is an internal-medicine physician, Assistant Volunteer Professor of Medicine at UCSF. She is the creator and host of The Nocturnists, an award-winning medical storytelling program that has uplifted the voices of more than 450 clinicians since 2016 through its podcast and live performances. Her work has been supported by a MacDowell fellowship and widely published in numerous publications including JAMA, The New York Times, and NPR. Learn more about Emily by visiting her website.Connect with usLearn more about Remo Health and how we’re delivering better dementia care to patients and those who care for them.Subscribe to the Remo Health newsletter.Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Bluesky for the latest information, news, and guidance on all things #dementia and #brainhealth.Have a question or a topic you’d like to hear more about? Email us at [email protected] information in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and is not the practice of medicine or any profession. It is not intended to be medical advice and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

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