Refer Your Patients to the ADRC for Research Participation  

The single largest barrier to finding a cure is not having enough research participants.  

Do You Have Patients With: 

• Mild Cognitive Impairment  
• Alzheimer’s Disease   
• Frontotemporal Dementia  
• Lewy Body Dementia 
• Family history or increased risk 
• Interest in dementia prevention  

Refer your patients to us for research participation and other Brain Health Resources such as:  

Research Participation  

• The opportunities are vast: Groundbreaking research is underway in our observational discovery and innovation studies, investigational medicine trials and exercise and lifestyle intervention trials. 

MyAlliance for Brain Health 

• Provides patients and caregivers with weekly communications about brain health information on nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle; advice and support; invitations webinars and other events; and research study opportunities. 

 LEAP! Lifestyle Empowerment for Alzheimer’s Prevention 

• The LEAP! program translates the latest Alzheimer's disease prevention research into actionable recommendations for everyday life. 

 Referral Request Form 

For Questions about research, programs, or resources call 913-588-0555 or email kuadrc@kumc.edu.

Anit-Amyloid Therapy Clinic (AATC)

A focused evaluation and treatment clinic for patients with early Alzheimer’s disease

The University of Kansas Health Systems (TUKHS) Anti-Amyloid Therapy Clinic partners with neurologists, primary care providers, and other referring clinicians — both inside and outside TUKHS — to evaluate patients for eligibility and manage treatment with FDA-approved monoclonal antibody therapies for Alzheimer’s disease (e.g., Leqembi and Kisunla).

Our clinic is specifically focused on determining whether anti-amyloid therapy is appropriate and, if so, managing all aspects of therapy, including infusions, safety monitoring, and required CMS reporting. We do not assume management of unrelated cognitive or medical issues, and patients continue care with their referring providers for general cognitive and health needs.

Who Should Be Referred

You may refer patients directly to the AATC if they meet the following clinical profile:

• Demonstrated consistent and persistent cognitive changes consistent with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early dementia
• Interest in learning whether anti-amyloid therapy may be an appropriate treatment option

A visit to the broader Memory Care Clinic is not required before referral.

How to Refer a Patient

Fax the following required documents to 913-945-7508:

• Clinic note describing the progressive cognitive concerns
• Objective cognitive testing within the past 12 months
  • Acceptable tools include: AD8, Mini-Cog, MMSE, MoCA, SLUMS, STMS, or similar
• Patient or family contact information or face sheet

Helpful Additional Records (if available)

Providing these records can expedite evaluation:

• Recent brain MRI (preferred) or head CT
• Recent labs (CBC, CMP, B12, TSH)
• Amyloid PET, lumbar puncture, or APOE results (if already completed)

What the AATC Will Do

Once referred, our clinic takes full responsibility for evaluating and managing treatment eligibility. This typically includes:

• Review of diagnosis and clinical stage
• Amyloid confirmation (via PET scan or lumbar puncture)
• APOE genotyping to assess ARIA risk
• Repeat MRI, if needed, with susceptibility sequences
• Cognitive testing, if the current staging is unclear
• Shared decision-making with the patient and care partners
• Infusion scheduling, safety monitoring, and CMS registry compliance

Treatment Eligibility

Eligibility for therapy will be determined by our clinic after all necessary assessments are complete. Patients do not need to have amyloid confirmation or APOE testing completed prior to referral — we will arrange and interpret these during the evaluation process.

Consider the following cognitive screening algorithm:

• AD-8 used as a cognitive screening tool in all Medicare Wellness Visits
• AD-8 is used when either individuals or families report subjective cognitive concerns
• If AD-8 score >2, incorporate MoCa (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), STMS (Short Test of Mental Status), or SLUMS (St. Louis University Mental Status Exam).
• If MoCa score <25 or STMS score <30 or SLUMS score <27, proceed with full diagnostic workup.
• Short Test of Mental Status - with tips and details (PDF)
• Mini-Cog (PDF)

Information for Referring Providers

Thank you for considering the University of Kansas Health System Memory Care Clinic for your patients with progressive cognitive disorders. As a tertiary academic referral center, we specialize in the diagnosis and management of complex cognitive conditions. Our focus is on enhancing patient and caregiver care, developing personalized treatment plans, and providing access to novel therapies.

Referral Focus

We exclusively accept referrals for progressive cognitive disorders. We do not typically see patients with static cognitive changes (e.g., from traumatic brain injury, cancer-related cognitive impairment, or substance use disorders).

Memory Clinic Sub-Clinics

Our Memory Care Clinic offers specialized sub-clinics designed to meet the diverse needs of patients with cognitive decline:

• Diagnostic Clinic
  • Purpose: Comprehensive evaluation to establish a diagnosis.
  • Referral Reasons: Patients with >6 months of cognitive decline and objective cognitive impairment on screening tests who require specialized testing to establish a diagnosis.
• Comprehensive Support Clinic
  • Purpose: Ongoing management and support after diagnosis.
  • Referral Reasons: Patients with an established diagnosis who need behavioral management, resource connection, or ongoing monitoring.
• Anti-Amyloid Treatment Clinic
  • Purpose: Evaluation for and treatment with anti-amyloid medications.
  • Referral Reasons: Patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild-stage dementia due to Alzheimer's disease who are considering anti-amyloid therapy. This clinic manages infusion therapy and MRI schedules and is not for general cognitive disorder care.

Additional Clinic Information

• E-Consults: Available for patients who have completed a full cognitive assessment visit. We can help confirm a diagnosis, coordinate further advanced testing, or provide treatment recommendations.
• Down Syndrome Clinic: Dedicated to individuals with Down syndrome who are at high risk for Alzheimer's disease.
• Biopsy Clinic: Offers skin biopsies for alpha-synuclein analysis (relevant for Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia).
• KU ADRC Research: We conduct clinical trials for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Patients can be referred directly for consideration in a research trial without a prior visit to the Memory Care Clinic.
  • For research inquiries, please fill out a research referral form or have your patient contact our research coordinating team at 913-588-0555, option 1.

Patient Referral Process

To refer a patient to the Memory Care Clinic, please fax the following required records to 913-945-7508:

• Relevant clinic notes: This note must detail the progressive nature of the cognitive concern prompting the referral.
• Abnormal cognitive testing: Documentation of objective cognitive impairment, performed within the last 12 months.
  • This can include abnormal bedside screening tests such as the AD8, Mini-Cog, MMSE, MoCA, SLUMS, STMS, or other validated cognitive screening tools.
  • If bedside testing is borderline or normal but clinical concern for cognitive impairment remains, we recommend ordering detailed neuropsychological testing first and refer the patient only if that testing is indicative of objective cognitive impairment.
• Patient/family contact information/face sheet.

Additional helpful tests to include in the referral (if available):

• Reversible labs (CBC/CMP/B12/TSH) within the last 12 months.
• Recent brain scans (MRI preferred; a CT head scan is acceptable if an MRI cannot be obtained).

Once the required records are received, the Memory Care Clinic team will review them for referral consideration.

The Visual Guide: Mood and Behavioral Challenges in Dementia provides a way to think through mood and behavioral challenges and potential directions to respond to them for individuals who have moderate impairment. 

A Visual Guide to Dementia

Dementia CareAssist App of The Visual Guide to Dementia 

The KU ADRC launched the Cognitive Care Network (CCN) in 2019 to increase access to care and support across Kansas, and help providers throughout the region incorporate early-stage-sensitive screening tools into their practice.

Objectives

• Advance early detection of cognitive disorders.
• Provide a collaborative system that can advance education and support of individuals who are diagnosed with MCI, Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia.
• Move the current crisis-driven model of dementia care to an empowerment model, including advancing health literacy, personal control, wellness planning, and a collaborative approach to disease management

Partnership with Primary Care Providers

The Cognitive Care Network creates much-needed partnerships with primary care providers throughout the state, with a special focus on rural and other areas where there aren’t enough dementia-specialized neurologists to respond to the growing numbers of patients with cognitive concerns. In neurologically uncomplicated cases, the primary care provider is the best and most timely resource for diagnostic evaluation. The Cognitive Care Network supports providers through educational opportunities; recommended screening, diagnostic and disclosure protocols; and incorporation of co-management practitioners – dementia-specific “navigators” – when needed.

These navigators are a tremendously valuable resource for providers, patients, and caregivers. Experienced CCN navigators are incorporated into primary care practices and work with individuals and families following a new diagnosis of a dementia, rather than waiting for a crisis and integrating support services then. The CCN navigators can also be involved when patients with an existing diagnosis have needs.

With earlier detection and engagement, the person living with a dementia better understands how to address, adjust, compensate, and plan for challenges that can be experienced as part of this disease.

For more information about participating in the Cognitive Care Network, please contact Michelle Niedens at cniedens2@kumc.edu or 913-945-7310.

Additional Resources

• Minnesota ACT on Alzheimer’s 
• Provider training opportunities with KU ADRC