“Does everyone who has Alzheimer’s Disease have dementia?”

Answer: This is a very common point of confusion. Dementia is not a disease, rather it is a group of symptoms. “Dementia is an acquired and progressive decline of cognitive function that eventually leads to functional decline.” Dr. Jeffrey Kaye, OHSU

Alzheimer’s Disease IS a disease that causes dementia. While it is a leading cause of dementia there are many other disorders that cause dementia as well. So yes - everyone who has Alzheimer’s Disease has dementia, but not everyone who has dementia has Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Alzheimer’s Association (national and local branches) are a great resource for more information about all kinds of dementia as well as the National Institute on Aging.


“Can Alzheimer’s Disease be slowed down by diet, exercise or medication?”

Answer: The National Institute of Health published the report of an expert panel in February of 2006 that explains the importance of many factors that are protective against dementia. The major theme of the report is that cognitive and emotional well being are strongly linked. Education, cardiovascular health, social support, relief from depression and anxiety, genetics and the absence of chronic illness all play an important role in preserving brain health. With regard to diet specifically it has been found that what is healthy for the heart is healthy for the brain.

See the full report at: “Cognitive and Emotional Health Project” report www.nia.nih.gov.

Medications can play an important role as well. Please consult your physician regarding medication.

“What is cognition?”

Answer: According to Oxford American Dictionary “Cognition is the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses”.

In practical terms it refers to:

• perception (our brain making meaning out of our sensory information)
• attention (our ability to mentally engage with inner and outer material)
• memory
• language
• problem solving
• learning and planning
  

“What is considered normal mental aging?”

Answer: As people age it is normal to have some memory loss, but nothing that causes a decline in function. Learning new things, especially if they are complex, may be harder and slower. All mental function may slow down a bit. You are less likely to be able to multi-task. However, given enough time a healthy older person can perform as well as a younger person.

“How can healthy older people improve their mental function?”

Answer: It is very important to do one thing at a time. Your function will vastly improve if you do that. Multi-tasking is very inefficient for all people, but you may be able to get away with it if one of the tasks is very routine (like brushing your teeth). The next big tip is to slow down and take all the time you need. Support your memory by reducing or eliminating distractions, give the task at hand all of your attention, make it meaningful (especially if is not very interesting).

For example, to learn someone’s name ask them to tell you a story about their name if it is unusual. If you need to remember where you parked your car take some time to locate some (stable) landmarks and say them out loud to yourself or write a note.

There is an excellent national program for seniors called OASIS
In Portland, Oregon their telephone number is: 503.241.3068