MEMORY
PROBLEMS
IS IT EARLY DEMENTIA
OR NORMAL AGING?
DEMENTIA
• MANY CAUSES: ALZHEIMER’S IS
MOST COMMON; STROKES, ANOXIC
BRAIN DAMAGE, PARKINSONS
• 4.9 MILLION AMERICANS TODAY
• DOUBLING OF THOSE >65 BY 2050
MEANS 10 MILLION OR MORE WILL
HAVE DEMENTIA
DEMENTIA
• MEMORY PROBLEMS EARLY
• AS DISEASE PROGRESSES,
OTHER DOMAINS AFFECTED
• JUDGMENT, BEHAVIOR, ADL’S
AND EVENTUALLY SPEECH
ARE ALL AFFECTED
WORRY ABOUT
DEMENTIA
• FEAR OF GETTING DEMENTIA
• NORMAL AGING CAN CAUSE
SOME MEMORY ISSUES
• WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN NORMAL AGING
AND DEMENTIA?
NORMAL BRAIN
• AGE AFFECTS ALL ORGANS
• LESS BLOOD FLOW TO
BRAIN AS YOU AGE
• LOSS OF BRAIN CELLS
• NEUROTRANSMITTER
FUNCTION IMPAIRED
TYPES OF MEMORY
•
•
•
•
•
•
RECALL/RETRIEVAL
CALCULATION
PROCEDURAL-TASKS
FACTUAL MEMORY
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
ORIENTATION
RECALL
• WHAT IS HER NAME?
• NORMAL AGING: SLOW
RETRIEVAL MAY OCCUR:
“SENIOR MOMENT”
• ALZHEIMERS: YOU
CANNOT RECALL NAME
SLOW RETRIEVAL
• A NORMAL CONSEQUENCE
OF AGING
• THE RIGHT ANSWER WILL
COME TO YOU
• ANALOGY: COMPUTER
SORTING THROUGH FILES
EPISODIC MEMORY
• STORING NEW MEMORIES
• REMEMBERING TIME AND
PLACE, WHEN AND WHERE
AN EPISODE HAPPENED
• DECLINES SOME WITH
NORMAL AGING
EPISODIC MEMORY
• DEMENTIA:
• GET LOST-CAN’T REMEMBER
WHERE THEY ARE GOING
• LOSE THINGS-CAN’T
REMEMBER WHERE THEY PUT
• HARD TO FORM A NEW
MEMORY
ORIENTATION
• WHO YOU ARE, WHERE
YOU ARE, WHEN IT IS
• NO CHANGE WITH
NORMAL AGING
• A COMMON PROBLEM
WITH EARLY DEMENTIA
WHAT SEASON IS IT?
CALCULATION
• MANIPULATE SEVERAL
PIECES OF INFORMATION
• ADD A FEW NUMBERS
• COUNT BACKWARD FROM
100 BY 7:100, 93, 86, 79,
72, 65, 58
• SEQUENCES-DRIVING
CALCULATION
NORMAL
DEMENTIA
• MAJOR
• SLIGHT
CHANGE
CHANGE
•
CANNOT
• BALANCE
BALANCE
CHECK BOOK
CHECK BOOK
TAKES
•
GET
LOST
LONGER
FACTUAL MEMORY
• WHO WON THE WORLD
SERIES IN 1948?
• WHO WAS U.S. PRESIDENT
DURING WORLD WAR II?
• EITHER IT IS THERE OR IT IS
NOT
FACTUAL MEMORY
NORMAL
• MILD
CHANGE
• CAN
REMEMBER
CONTEXT
DEMENTIA
• BIG CHANGE
• CONTEXT
• HARD TO
LEARN NEW
FACTS
FACTUAL MEMORY
• NORMAL AGING: NOT MUCH
CHANGE
• DEMENTIA: REMOTE
MEMORIES REMAIN AND CAN
BE RETRIEVED; LEARNING
NEW FACTS/MEMORIES IS
IMPAIRED SIGNIFICANTLY
HOW MANY WITH
DEMENTIA LIVE
IN USA TODAY?
DID YOU
REMEMBER?
4.9 MILLION
I BET YOU REMEMBER YOUR
GRANDAUGHTER’S BIRTHDAY!
PROCEDURAL MEMORY
• LEARNING A TASK LIKE
RIDING A BIKE OR
• BRUSHING TEETH, SHAVING
• LITTLE CHANGE WITH AGE
• ONLY IN ADVANCED
DEMENTIA IS THERE A
DEFICIT
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
• CAN YOU PLAN A MENU,
SHOP, AND COOK A MEAL?
• CAN YOU PLAN A PARTY,
SEND INVITATIONS, PREPARE
YOUR HOME FOR THE
GUESTS?
• CAN YOU MANAGE MONEY?
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
NORMAL
DEMENTIA
• AGING DOES • SIGNIFICANT
AFFECT THIS
DECLINE
• ANXIETY DUE • SIMPLY
TO TASK
CANNOT
BEING MORE
MANAGE
DIFFICULT
AFFAIRS
SUMMARY:NORMAL
•
•
•
•
•
•
REMAIN ORIENTED
SOME RETRIEVAL PROBLEMS
SLOWER CALCULATION
FACTS REMEMBERED
NO PROBLEM WITH TASKS
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION?
SUMMARY:DEMENTIA
• DISORIENTED PLACE/TIME
• RETRIEVAL DIFFICULT TO
IMPOSSIBLE
• CALCULATION IS POOR
• SEQUETIAL TASKS HARDER
• FACTS ARE REMEMBERED
SUMMARY:DEMENTIA
• DIFFICULTLY LEARNING NEW
FACTS AND EPISODES
• TASKS OK UNTIL LATE STAGE
• EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
DECLINES SIGNIFICANTLY