Ryan O'Dell, MD, PhD

Ryan O’Dell, MD, PhD, is a geriatric psychiatrist who specializes in the evaluation and management cognitive disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease.

He says he was drawn to the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias because there is still much to learn about them. Recent breakthroughs, such as the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of lecanemab (brand name: Leqembi), a medication shown to slow the progression of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, has been an exciting new development in this field, he adds.

Dr. O’Dell says he practices a family-centered approach. “I think the involvement of families and their support systems in the evaluation and management of cognitive disorders is a very important part of the process, whether it’s a spouse or an adult child, or whoever the patient is comfortable bringing to an appointment,” he says. “Another important aspect of the evaluation of cognitive disorders is addressing any changes in mood and behavior, such as anxiety and depression, which are frequently seen with advancing neurodegenerative disease, and sometimes may even precede cognitive or functional decline.”

He says it’s also important for him to take things slow and develop rapport when he first meets a patient and their family.

“Unless someone is coming to me who is transferring care and there’s a clear-cut, pre-established workup, we don’t jump to conclusions surrounding a diagnosis,” he says. “If someone is experiencing new memory changes, we need to first do a comprehensive diagnostic workup. I am transparent and take a gentle approach. I do share what I’m worried about and keep everyone in the loop. I might say, ‘We don’t have a diagnosis yet, but here’s what we have to do to get one.’”

In addition, Dr. O’Dell says he keeps the patient’s and family’s perspectives, values, and goals of care in mind throughout the evaluation and treatment process.

“It’s important to consider that some diagnostic procedures may be too invasive or not tolerated because of age, active medical conditions, or even significant anxiety or agitation, and we should therefore take a different approach to the workup, one that both the patient and their family feel most comfortable with,” he says.

Dr. O’Dell’s research interests include using brain imaging (PET and MRI) to study the underlying pathophysiological changes in people with symptomatic and pre-symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. He is also involved in several Alzheimer’s disease clinical trials through the Yale Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit (ADRU). For more information surrounding ongoing clinical trials and observational neuroimaging studies in Alzheimer’s disease, call (203) 764-8100.