Paraskevi Sakka NEUROLOGIST Director, Neurodegenerative Brain Conditions - Memory Department

210 686 7079
210 686 7099

Education & Academic Qualifications

Faculty of Medicine Graduate, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
07/1982: Neurologist/Psychiatrist Specialty
1982-1983: Registrar, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Cambridge
1996: PhD, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Doctoral thesis

1996: PhD holder from the Neurologic Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens on “Correlation between perfusion and space-occupying brain lesions using SPECT”

Fellowship in Societies, Membership in Journal Editorial Committees

Fellowship in Societies

President of the Athens Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders since 2002
General Secretary of the Hellenic Dementia Society
Member of the Hellenic Neurological Society
Member of the European Neurological Society
Member of the American Academy of Neurology

Membership in Journal Editorial Committees

Communicating with Alzheimer’s journal

Journal Editor

Information on Alzheimer’s journal

Work Experience

1/10/1982-31/12/1983: Clinician, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Cambridge, UK
1/12/1982-9/10/2003: Registrar & Associate Director, Neurology Clinic, Military Veterans’ Fund Hospital (NIMTS)
10/10/2003-currently: Director, Neurodegenerative Brian Conditions Department & Memory Clinic, HYGEIA Hospital

Clinical & Research Interest

Clinical Interest:

Alzheimer’s disease
Non-Alzheimer’s dementias
Neuropsychological tests in various types of dementia syndromes
Rapidly progressive dementias
Young-onset dementia
Parkinson-plus syndromes

Research Interest:

Biological markers in dementia, CSF proteins
Neuroimaging techniques (PET, SPECT) in dementia syndromes
Social dimension of Alzheimer’s, Caregivers burden, Alzheimer Associations
Prevention of dementia & Alzheimer’s disease

Honors & Awards

President of the working group for the National Action Plan for Dementia & Chairwoman of the National Observatory on Dementia

Books

Chapter for the book ‘’ When reasoning chases memory. The multidimensional threat of Alzheimer’s disease in the 21^st century’’ , Crete University Press, 2021
Chapters for the book «Empowering and Advocate», TOPOS Editions, 2016
Non-Pharmaceutical Treatment for Alzheimer’s, Athens Association of Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders, Athens, 2013
Mental Exercises: A Guide for Health Professionals, University Studio Press, Athens, 2012
Activities for People Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Grigoris Publications, Athens, 2011
Alzheimer’s Disease Can be Treated. Get Informed! Athens Association of Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders, Athens 2007
Manual for Carers, Athens Association of Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders, Athens, 2007
Chapters for the book Dementia: A Medical & Social Challenge, University Studio Press, Thessaloniki, 2005

Recent Publications

The Effect of Prolonged Lockdown Due to COVID-19 on Greek Demented Patients of Different Stages and on Their Caregivers, Journal of Alzheimer’s disease: JAD, 2021
Late life psychotic features in prodromal Parkinson’s disease, Parkinsonism & Related Disorders , 2021
Incidence of mild cognitive impairment in the elderly population in Greece: results from the HELIAD study, Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 2021
Mediterranean diet and risk for dementia and cognitive decline in a Mediterranean population, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society , 2021
The factors associated with the presence of psychotic symptoms in the HELIAD Greek community study of older adults, Aging and Mental Health, 2021
The impact of COVID‐19 pandemic on people with mild cognitive impairment/dementia and on their caregivers, International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2020
Challenges in the development of accurate normative neuropsychological test data for older adults: Findings from the HELIAD Study: Neuropsychology/early detection of cognitive decline with neuropsychological tests, Alzheimer’s & dementia, 2020
Dementia Incidence in the Elderly Population of Greece: Results From the HELIAD StudyAlzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders , 2020
445 – The factors associated with the presence of psychotic symptoms in the HELIAD Greek community study of older adults, International Psychogeriatrics 2020
Frailty and prodromal Parkinson’s disease: Results from the HELIAD study, The Journals of Gerontology Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 2020

Recent announcements in international conferences

69th American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, “HELIAD study: Dementia prevalence in Greece”,2017, Boston
EFNS, Joint congress of European neurology – Oral presentation: Ageing and dementia 1 “Early diagnosis of dementia – A campaign in a population of elderly people in Athens”, Istanbul, Turkey, June 2014
Contemporary Neuroimaging Topics – Round Table Chairmanship: “Parkinson Disease and Parkinsonism Syndromes”, Athens, 2014
167th Annual Meeting, American Psychiatric Association, 3-7/5/2014, New York
1st World Congress on Geriatrics & Neurodegenerative Diseases Research, “Brain reserve and cognitive training in the elderly”, 10-13/4/2014, Corfu, Greece
10th Hellenic Congress on Public Health & Health Services: Road to Advancement – Round Table Chairmanship: Alzheimer’s Disease Can Be Prevented. Get Informed! “Protective/Burdening factors for developing dementia & Alzheimer’s disease”, Athens, 2014
Hellenic Dementia Society Satellite Convention, Chairmanship: “Contemporary information on the therapeutic treatment of Alzheimer’s disease”, Athens, 2014
22nd Hellenic Psychiatry Congress – Round Table Chairmanship: “Cognitive exercises for people with dementia via computers / Results of the SOCIABLE program”, Ioannina, 2014
13th International Geneva/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer’s Therapy, 2014, Geneva, Switzerland
67th American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, “SOCIABLE: A comprehensive ICT cognitive training programme empowering for healthy and cognitively impaired elderly”, 18-25/4/2015, Washington, DC