In this episode of Talking Dementia, Dr. Emily Silverman speaks with Dr. Bruce Miller, who holds the A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professorship in Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, where he directs the Memory and Aging Center, and is the founding director of the Global Brain Health Institute, UCSF. A world-renowned behavioral neurologist, Bruce has spent his career studying the diagnosis and management of neurodegenerative disease.

Dr. Miller and Emily walk through the fundamentals of dementia, what distinguishes it from normal aging, and the most common (and rarer) diagnoses seen at the Memory and Aging Center, from Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia to frontotemporal dementia and Parkinson’s-related cognitive decline.

The conversation moves into some of the more unusual manifestations of these diseases, including bursts of visual creativity and chronic déjà vu, before turning to the science of prevention, the current landscape of Alzheimer’s treatments (cholinesterase inhibitors, anti-amyloid antibodies, and the emerging focus on tau), and why non-pharmacologic support, like caregiver roadmaps and honest conversations about care transitions, is just as critical as medication. They close with a broader look at what an aging population means for families, health systems, and society, and why Bruce remains hopeful about what the next decade of research may bring.

About this episode’s featured guest

Dr. Bruce Miller is A.W. and Mary Margaret Clausen Distinguished Professor in Neurology and Director of the Memory and Aging Center at UCSF, an NIH-sponsored Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. A world-renowned behavioral neurologist specializing in frontotemporal dementia, he has advanced our understanding of brain-behavior relationships and dementia treatment, leading initiatives like the Tau Consortium, the Bluefield Project to Cure Frontotemporal Dementia, and the ReDLat initiative. He is also founding director of UCSF’s Global Brain Health Institute, which trains global leaders in brain health. His honors include the Potamkin Award and election to the National Academy of Medicine.

About Remo’s host Dr. Emily Silverman

Dr. 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.

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The 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.