Mateja de Leonni Stanonik, MD, MA, PhD (former Surgeon General of the Republic of Slovenia) is the head of a multidisciplinary Neurology and Psychiatry Clinic, the Vita Medica Institute, in Tucson, Arizona. The focus of her current practice is stroke/vascular neurology, memory issues as well as women's issues within neurological disorders.
Mateja de Leonni Stanonik, BA, BSc, MA, MD, PhD, grew up in Slovenia (formerly Yugoslavia). She completed her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Psychology (BSc.), as well as in German and Political Science (B.A.). She went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Cognitive Psychology/Neurolinguistics and Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in Neuroscience. In 2007, she completed her M.D. degree at the Saba University School of Medicine, followed by a medical residency in Neurology at George Washington University.
Dr. de Leonni Stanonik is passionate about preserving brain health well into the golden years of life which allows patients to maintain quality of life as much as possible. Thus, she routinely uses treatments to limit cognitive decline.
Dr. Mateja de Leonni Stanonik
VitaMedica Institute
2850 E Skyline Dr., Suite 130
Tucson, Arizona 85718
Tel: (520) 638-5757
Fax: (520) 447-5701
Website: https://vmi.global/
Wikipedia: "Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens,[2] and is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia.[2][14] The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events.[1] As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues.[2] As a person's condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society.[15] Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death. Although the speed of progression can vary, the average life expectancy following diagnosis is three to twelve years.[16][12]
The cause of Alzheimer's disease is poorly understood.[15] There are many environmental and genetic risk factors associated with its development. The strongest genetic risk factor is from an allele of apolipoprotein E.[17][18] Other risk factors include a history of head injury, clinical depression, and high blood pressure.[1] The progress of the protein misfolding disease is largely associated with amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and loss of neuronal connections in the brain.[19] A probable diagnosis is based on the history of the illness and cognitive testing, with medical imaging and blood tests to rule out other possible causes.[8][20] Initial symptoms are often mistaken for normal brain aging.[15] Examination of brain tissue is needed for a definite diagnosis, but this can only take place after death.[21][22]
No treatments can stop or reverse its progression, though some may temporarily improve symptoms.[2] A healthy diet, physical activity, and social engagement are generally beneficial in ageing, and may help in reducing the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's.[19] Affected people become increasingly reliant on others for assistance, often placing a burden on caregivers.[23] The pressures can include social, psychological, physical, and economic elements.[23] Exercise programs may be beneficial with respect to activities of daily living and can potentially improve outcomes.[24] Behavioral problems or psychosis due to dementia are sometimes treated with antipsychotics, but this has an increased risk of early death.[25][26]
As of 2020, there were approximately 50 million people worldwide with Alzheimer's disease.[13] It most often begins in people over 65 years of age, although up to 10% of cases are early-onset impacting those in their 30s to mid-60s.[27][4] It affects about 6% of people 65 years and older,[15] and women more often than men.[28] The disease is named after German psychiatrist and pathologist Alois Alzheimer, who first described it in 1906.[29] Alzheimer's financial burden on society is large, with an estimated global annual cost of US$1 trillion.[13] It is ranked as the seventh leading cause of death worldwide.[30]
The course of Alzheimer's is generally described in three stages, with a progressive pattern of cognitive and functional impairment.[31][27] The three stages are described as early or mild, middle or moderate, and late or severe.[31] The disease is known to target the hippocampus which is associated with memory, and this is responsible for the first symptoms of memory impairment. As the disease progresses so does the degree of memory impairment.[19]"
Dr. Mateja de Leonni Stanonik
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Tucson, Arizona, United States
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