Monday, March 7, 2011

Learning How to Communicate with Someone Suffering From Alzheimer's


As I thought about this I came to a simple conclusion. Instead of trying to change Alzheimer's World, instead of trying to fight Alzheimer's World, not only would I accept Alzheimer's World as a reality, I would go into Alzheimer's World and learn how to communicate effectively...

By Bob DeMarco
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Earlier today, Carole Larkin published an interesting article -- How the Loss of Memory Works in Alzheimer’s Disease, and How Understanding This Could Help You.

The article described in layman's terms how problems with short term memory are directly related to the region of the brain known as the hippocampus; and, how when this brain region stops functioning properly a person losses their ability to store information.

A person suffering from Alzheimer's disease can hear you and even respond to you. What they can't do is remember what the hell you just said. Well, in layman's terms anyway.

I grappled with this problem several years ago as I was constructing my own understanding of how Dotty was thinking (or not thinking) and feeling. I named the parallel universe that Dotty lives in -- Alzheimer's World.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Study points to liver, not brain, as origin of Study points to liver, not brain, as origin of Alzheimer's plaques


This unexpected finding holds promise for the development of new therapies to fight Alzheimer's...
Alzheimer's Reading Room

Unexpected results from a Scripps Research Institute and ModGene, LLC study could completely alter scientists' ideas about Alzheimer's disease pointing to the liver instead of the brain as the source of the "amyloid" that deposits as brain plaques associated with this devastating condition. The findings could offer a relatively simple approach for Alzheimer's prevention and treatment.

Read all of the article -- Study points to liver, not brain, as origin of Alzheimer's plaques