Perhaps people who are forgetful don’t have Alzheimer’s—it’s just that they have so much life experience they have nowhere to put it! It seems they must forget some of the old stuff to let the new information in. And if they have active lives, they are still busy making memories, so finding enough room is a daunting task. Well, that’s a silly speculation, and not true at all, LOL!
It’s not a laughing matter, really—Google, that wise oracle, suggests that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of memory loss. It is a progressive disease beginning with a mild form and possibly leading to loss of the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to the environment. Alzheimer’s disease involves parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.
A special report on mild cognitive impairment (mild memory loss) says that approximately 12% to 18% of people aged 60 or older are living with this brain condition, with an estimated 10% to 15% of these individuals developing dementia each year.
The Alzheimer’s Society of Canada says: “As we grow older, it’s natural to feel concern about changes in our mental abilities. We want to carry out our daily routines, be self-sufficient and relive the most treasured moments of our lives – without having to worry about our memory and in particular, dementia.”
Most of us will experience no problems with our memory. We will continue to have strong memories as we age and our ability to remember will not decline rapidly or substantively. In old age, which I once called the Golden Age, we will retain the skills and knowledge learned throughout our lives.
However, some of us will experience some memory loss.
To put it simply, there are different levels of memory loss – and not all memory loss is due to Alzheimer’s or dementia. So how can you tell which is which?
Here are some signs of memory loss as a part of normal aging:
- People with memory loss are unable to remember details of a conversation or event that took place a year ago.
- They’re unable to remember the name of an acquaintance.
- They forget things and events occasionally.
- They sometimes have difficulty finding words.
Should this be a concern for most people? We shouldn’t worry. For the most part, our memory loss will be mild enough that we can live our day-to-day lives without interruption.
However, some people will experience more memory loss than others. Almost 40% of them will experience some form of memory loss after they turn 65 years old. But even if they display this level of memory disruption, chances are still unlikely that they have Alzheimer’s or dementia.
Here are some signs of memory loss due to dementia:
Jonathan Graff-Radford, M.D., of the Mayo Clinic describes dementia as an umbrella term that describes a wide range of symptoms. It is not a specific disease, he says. According to him, these symptoms affect people’s ability to perform everyday activities on their own. Common symptoms of dementia include:
- A decline in memory
- Changes in thinking skills
- Poor judgment and reasoning skills
- Decreased focus and attention
- Changes in language
- Changes in behavior
A small percentage of the population will have dementia. The WHO estimates that, after people turn 60 years old, 5 to 8% of them will live with dementia at some point. With dementia, symptoms which include more severe memory loss will gradually worsen to the point where their abilities seriously deteriorate, and they are no longer able to take care of themselves.
Some interesting statistics:
40% of the population have some form of memory loss.
Only 5% to 8% of people have dementia.
Here are some signs of memory loss due to Alzheimer’s:
While dementia is a general term, Alzheimer’s disease is a specific brain disease. It is marked by symptoms of dementia that gradually get worse over time. In this article, I am discussing Alzheimer’s disease specifically. It first affects the part of the brain associated with learning, so early symptoms often include changes in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. People with Alzheimer’s may:
- Repeat statements and questions over and over.
- Forget conversations, appointments, or events.
- Misplace items, often putting them in places that don’t make sense.
- Get lost in places they used to know well.
- Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects.
- Have trouble finding the right words for objects, expressing thoughts, or taking part in conversations.
- Not be able to create new memories.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, but it’s not the only one. There are many different types and causes of dementia, including:
- Lewy body dementia
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Vascular dementia
- Limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- Parkinson’s disease dementia
- Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
- Huntington’s disease
- Mixed dementia
Of all the statistics in this discouraging research, this line is the one that troubled me the most:
About one-third of people living with mild memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease develop dementia within five years.
So, I was encouraged when I came across this optimistic piece from the Mayo Clinic:
One large, long-term study done in Finland found that making lifestyle changes helped reduce cognitive decline among people who were at risk of dementia. Those in the study were given individual and group sessions that focused on diet, exercise, and social activities.
Other studies have shown that staying engaged mentally and socially is linked to preserved thinking skills later in life and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This includes going to social events, reading, dancing, playing board games, creating art, playing an instrument and other activities.
In the same way, people with dementia may still be able to remember things that they have repeated many times in their life, such as a route to school. This also includes skills that involved a lot of practice, like playing a musical instrument or driving.
And here is the most uplifting news I have found about dementia. It may also apply to people living with Alzheimer’s.
From “Alzheimer’s Society”
People with dementia may also be able to remember more emotional events such as weddings or birthday parties. This is because memory also has an emotional aspect to it. This emotional memory is usually affected much later during dementia.
This means that a person with dementia may remember how they feel about an event even if they have forgotten the details of it. For example, they may not remember where they went on holiday, or that a friend came to visit, but they may still feel happy about it after.
This emotional memory can be triggered by senses, such as hearing a certain piece of music or smelling a certain fragrance.
An important and informative post
It was a difficult post to write. However, I felt it was an important topic, one that people avoid. Many families have seen their loved ones stricken with this disease and struggle to accept it. Which is why I tried to end my article on a positive note. Thanks, Derrick.
The love of my life is dealing with dementia. It’s a disease, not a character defect.
Lynda, my heart goes out to you. The disease is tough on family members, demanding so much patience and understanding. Even someone as strong as you will find it extremely difficult. Thank you for reaching out.
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