SHORT-TERM MEMORY lapses are obvious signs of Alzheimer’s, but other tell-tale signals begin to show much earlier. Learn how to look for semantic impairments, such as simple questions about size.
FORGOT where you put those keys again? Worried about it? The good news is, though you may have a problem, it’s probably not Alzheimer’s. A real warning sign of Alzheimer’s is “anosognosia”. That’s when you forget and are not aware of it, while other people are. Learn more about what causes memory problems and how to better understand what you see.
Spend time with Alzheimer’s patients and you quickly learn, “If you met one person with Alzheimer’s, you met one person with Alzheimer’s.” Each patient’s journey is unique. Researchers have uncovered one reason why: Memories are like fingerprints. Learn how the brain creates “memory fingerprints” and how this may lead to new, better Alzheimer’s treatments.
An Alzheimer’s blood test that works before symptoms appear can clear up doubts about memory problems. It can tell the difference between subjective memory problems, such as normal side-effects of aging, versus warning signs of Alzheimer’s.
A diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s saved the marriage of Trey and Theresa Pippen, according to Trey.
2 studies connect Alzheimer’s to concussions, and lighter blows to the head to memory loss. How careful can we be? Just how much does it matter?
Doctors routinely diagnose and track dementia. “Neuropsychological tests” are non-invasive, using interviews or paper/pen tests. More invasive diagnostics include powerful MRI and PET scans.
Some Alzheimer’s tests cost thousands of dollars, some cost pennies. The trick is using the right tests at the right time for the right person. An excellent scoring system from Mayo Clinic offers a powerful tool for making the best choices.
How do doctors “see” dementia? One way is with brain scans called MRI and fMRI. Doctors also use these scans to help see if it is Alzheimer’s, Vascular, Lewy Body or another type of dementia. An MRI offers a photo of the brain. More amazingly, an fMRI (functional MRI) can give a 3-D video of a living brain. Learn how it works.
Lewy body dementia receives relatively little attention and few research dollars, and often goes undiagnosed. Learn about a kit to do something about it. Watch Mike Belleville share his long journey of misdiagnosis from Alzheimer’s to Lewy body dementia.
MEMORY PROBLEMS, an early sign of Alzheimer’s, are linked to glucose sugar deprivation in brain cells. So is diabetes, a well-known Alzheimer’s risk factor. How strongly connected is the Alzheimer’s-Sugar-Diabetes triangle?
TEEPA SNOW CARE VIDEO: Vascular dementia poses unique challenges to caregivers. Learn how vascular dementia differs from Alzheimer’s. See how to make life better, both for you and the one for whom you care.
People with dementia deserve dignity and have rights. Where do we draw the line between encouraging personal choices versus following what caregivers think is best? See Dr. Murray Raskin & Dr. Linda Teri offer experienced tips.
Three important dementia studies focus on HS-AGING, a type of dementia almost as common as Alzheimer’s in the 85+ group. Yet few people have heard of it. Why? What makes it different?
An intriguing study of 120 grandmothers might surprise you. Doctors know socially engaged people have better cognition and less dementia. But can a person get too much of a good thing? What’s the right balance?
Enjoy this great duet between a musician with dementia and his son. A triumph of spirit over Alzheimer’s! Sing-a-long if you like!
It looks like a sneeze cannot give anyone Alzheimer’s. While Alzheimer’s abnormal disease proteins do spread from cell-to-cell, they are not “infectious”. Check out the facts.
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