The University of South Carolina has received approval for a $30 million renovation of this building in Columbia to house its Brain Center. (Jessica Holdman/SC Daily Gazette)
COLUMBIA — Some 95,000 South Carolinians have Alzheimer’s disease or some other type of dementia, and that number is expected to grow as the state’s population ages, according to the University of South Carolina.
By fall 2025, the state’s largest university system plans to open a Brain Health Center in Columbia, with at least six satellite clinics in more rural areas of the state to diagnose patients and increase access to cutting-edge treatments.
“Earlier diagnosis for dementia is always better,” said Julius Fridriksson, USC’s vice president for research. “The earlier you can detect it, the more likely it is that you can be treated. If you wait too long, a lot of times it’s just too late.”
The University of South Carolina recently hired Dr. Leo Bonilha as director of USC’s $30 million Brain Health Center in Columbia. (Provided by USC)