Dementia, one of the primary symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, is a degenerative disease of the mind that results from loss or damage of neurons. As I could not find a video or an article to express what I had in mind, I thought I'd post a personal story about dementia in response to Petra's post regarding falsely reconstructed memories.
Dementia can be frustrating and sad to live with. My grandfather had dementia for the last five or so years of his life and so was slowly claimed by the disease as my family looked on unable to help. In the beginning, my grandpa would forget little things, misplace things, and the like. As the disease progressed, however, his personality changed; he became apathetic and would sometimes have mood swings. In the latter stages, he'd forget the names of people he'd known for a long time, including my name, my cousins names, his children's names, his wife's name, and even his own name. He would forget often where he was, what he was doing, what he had done so far in a day, to the extent that he was convinced he'd been dropped in a strange house with strange people completely out of the blue. Several times, he'd wake up suddenly during the middle of the night unsure of who's bed he was in and try to leave his house - the house he'd lived in for 40 years, more or less. When this happened, he'd typically walk through town several blocks to the location of his childhood home - the home his mind told him he still lived in - to rejoin his parents and brother, who were no longer living. Near the end of his life, he was quiet much of the time, or spoke with some difficulty. He couldn't remember how to do simple things like turn a lamp on, button a button on his shirt, tie his shoe, etc., so he'd just hold the shoe in his hand, or the button in his fingers and look at it, knowing that he had to do something with it but not quite remembering what that something was. When he was admitted into an assissted living center, he'd often forget where he was and occasionally become violent.
Dementia is fatal, as it causes the body of the patient to slowly shut down and stop performing basic functions, like respiration. Most dementia patients die of an unrelated illness - the common cold, for example - as a result of their weakened immune systems.
There's no doubt that dementia is sad, but what can learn from it? As my grandpa reached the latter stages, he'd occasionally slip out of English and begin speaking in Italian, the language he spoke with his parents as a child, although he hadn't spoken it at all in over 70 years. Could it be possible that each of us has within us memories of which we are not conscious? It seems strange to think that in 70 years I might suddenly recall the high school spanish that was so far removed from my mind the very summer after I learned it, or that, e.g. a person who speaks with an American accent throughout adolescence but who develops an English accent after 70 years of adulthood in England might suddenly forget 70 years of enculturation and revert back to his or her primary accent. It seems even stranger to think that someone could be 80 some-odd years old, snoozing in his recliner at home, and then wake up and truly believe that he was an 18 year old boy again, fighting the good fight overseas, or that he was a 10 year old boy again, with a mother and a father and a brother who hadn't yet been killed in WWII, or a house that hadn't been demolished. Surely, the strangest thing is that a lifetime really can flash before someone's eyes in a series of a memories that seem to displace what is real. Can you imagine yourself actively engaging in something - like reading the paper - and then a second later feeling like you had been picked up and dropped into an old memory? Alternatively, can you imagine waking up in an unfamiliar house, leaving to find the house in your memory, and coming back to the unfamiliar house only after you'd forgotten what you were looking for and realized that you weren't at home where you belonged?
Does anyone else find these thoughts interesting, or at least strange? What do you think?
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I find it rather interesting how with this disease you are able to somehow have selective memories about which one you remember and which ones you unintentionally forget about. I can't imagine waking up one day living my day as though I was fifteen and looking in the mirror to see my actual age by my face. Joseph, you say your grandpa tends to revert back to people, places and things in his past. Maybe people with different types of Alzheimer's think about their past as a way to not face the future and reality of becoming older since Alzheimer's is extremely common in old age. Perhaps this is a disease that people develop when they aren't ready to leave this world as I way to still connect with their younger years, not to say that your grandfather isn't ready but just as a general statement. I wonder if any other psychologists have thought of Alzheimer's disease in this way? Do you know what causes Alzheimer's or is it something that just happens?
ReplyDeleteSo I did a little research about why Alzheimer's Disease occurs from the National Institute on Aging.
ReplyDelete"Scientists don’t yet fully understand what causes AD, but it is clear that it develops because of a complex series of events that take place in the brain over a long period of time. It is likely that the causes include genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Because people differ in their genetic make-up and lifestyle, the importance of these factors for preventing or delaying AD differs from person to person.
Genetics play a role in some people with AD. A rare type of AD, called early-onset AD, affects people ages 30 to 60. Some cases of early-onset AD, called familial AD, are inherited. Familial AD is caused by mutations (permanent changes) in three genes. Offspring in the same generation have a 50-50 chance of developing familial AD if one of their parents had it.
Most cases of AD are late-onset AD, which develops after age 60. Although a specific gene has not been identified as the cause of late-onset AD, genetic factors do appear to increase a person’s risk of developing the disease. This increased risk is related to the apoliprotein E (APOE) gene. The APOE gene has several forms. One of them, APOE ε4, occurs in about 40 percent of all people who develop late-onset AD. However, at least one-third of people with AD do not have this form of the gene.
Four to seven other AD risk-factor genes may exist as well. One of them, SORL1, was discovered in 2007. Large-scale genetic research studies are looking for other risk-factor genes. For more information, see the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Fact Sheet.
Research suggests that certain lifestyle factors, such as a nutritious diet, exercise, social engagement, and mentally stimulating pursuits, might help to reduce the risk of cognitive decline and AD. Scientists are investigating associations between cognitive decline and heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Understanding these relationships and testing them in clinical trials will help us understand whether reducing risk factors for these diseases may help with AD as well.
Can AD be prevented?
We can’t control some risk factors for AD such as age and genetic profile. But scientists are studying a number of other factors that could make a difference. Only further research will reveal whether these health, lifestyle, and environmental factors can help prevent AD. Some of these factors are: physical activity, dietary factors such as antioxidants and DHA, and damage to the vascular system."
(U.S. National Institute of Health: National Institute on Aging---Alzheimer's Information)
http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/AlzheimersInformation/Causes/