Jacobo Mintzer MD
Geriatrics and Extended Care
VA Charleston health care
Dr. Jacobo Mintzer is a board certified psychologist who provides individualized dementia care to the Veterans at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System.
Medical School: Buenos Aires University
Residency: Psychiatry Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine - Jerusalem, Israel
Fellowship: Geriatric Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences University of California
Board Certification: Yes
My main clinical service is to provide individualized, state-of-the-art dementia care as well as access to the most promising clinical research programs to Veterans suffering from neurodegenerative disorders. We are the only VA facility in the US that provides access to clinical research on Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders to Veterans.
Our team conducts research on all aspects of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders ranging from projects targeting normal individuals who have the basic lesion of Alzheimer's disease in their brains to patients who are cognitively impaired and agitated during the last days of their lives. Examples of our original work include the demonstration of the efficacy and safety of methylphenidate in the treatment of apathy in Alzheimer's disease patients, demonstrating the efficacy and safety of citalopram in the treatment of agitation in Alzheimer's disease, and the evaluation of the role of music as a tool for brain stimulation in individuals with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.
As part of my role on the AARP Global Council on Brain Health, we have identified several key pillars for maintaining and improving brain health that can substantially improve brain health. I take pride in recommending and following that crucial advice. Therefore, I do at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, at least 90 minutes of weight training a week, I eat a mainly vegetarian Mediterranean diet (learning to try cook it appropriately), I am very involved in community activities such as serving on the Board of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, I challenge myself doing things that I am very bad as such as yoga, and I try to be the best husband and father I can be for my family.