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Department of Neurosciences Department of Neurosciences
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  3. Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
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For Physicians 

Make a Referral

Physicians have historically been one of the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's (ADRC) most valuable sources of participant referrals. We hope to improve physician confidence in making referrals to our center by helping them recognize the ways in which their patients' involvement in our center's programs may complement the clinical care they can provide.

We do not replace you as a health care provider, as we are not a treatment center.  Rather, we seek a cooperative relationship in which our role is to give patients feedback on their current status and an opportunity to make a valuable contribution to research investigating Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders. In addition, we offer no-cost Quality of Life Programs for patients and their caregivers whether they are willing and able to participate in research or not.   

How to Refer

You have three options if you'd like to refer a patient for research studies and/or quality of life program participation:

  1. Complete the SMADRC Referral Form(Secure, HIPAA compliant)
  2. Submit a secure email toparticipate@ucsd.edu.Please put the word "SECURE" in the subject line of the email message. In the body of the message, please include the following information:
    • Patient's name
    • Reason for referral
    • Patient/care partner contact name
    • Patient/care partner contact information
    • Provider contact information
  3. Provide your patient with our contact information and have them call us directly.

Who to Refer

We are recruiting diverse volunteers to discover ways to prevent, treat, and ultimately eradicate ADRD for clinical and biomarker studies as well as clinical trials. If your patient has any of the following diagnosis, they may be a good candidate to refer:

  • Mild Cognitive Impairment
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Young onset Alzheimer's disease
  • Parkinson's disease with memory concerns
  • Dementia and Lewy Bodies
  • Frontotemporal and other dementias
  • Memory concerns NO diagnosis
  • Normal cognition

Enrolling Studies

Enrolling Observational Studies

Enrolling Clinical Trials

Each study has specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Major exclusions for most studies include:

  • Major stroke
  • Unstable medical or psychiatric conditions
  • Severe cognitive impairment
  • Lack of a study partner
  • Less than 5 years of education or education equivalency
  • Unable to participate in biomarker procedures (MRI, PET & LP)

We are committed to being prompt and professional when contacting your patients.  We will be more than happy to give you updates regarding the patients you refer to the ADRC as long as the patient provides authorization. Please feel free to contact us at (858) 822-4800 if you would like more information or have questions.

Resources 

From the CADC 

The following California Alzheimer's Disease Centers (CADC) Assessment of Cognitive Complaints for Alzheimer's Disease (ACCT-AD) screening resources are for providers to use to screen for Alzheimer's disease and other related dementias during patient wellness visits. 

From SMADRC