Hi Readers,
Below is a list of
common conditions and situations that mimic dementia and are sometimes
misdiagnosed as dementia or Alzheimer's Disease. The majority of people
diagnosing have no medical background.
Please do not lay
diagnose yourself or others. I have found far too many people diagnosing
themselves, their spouse, or parents with "memory loss." Only
24% of older adults have dementia. The majority, or 76%, do not
have dementia.
Remember, cognitive
slowing is normal after age 35 and is not memory loss [see
below]. Memory recall, processing speed, and retrieval is slower among
older adults. Normal!
•Depression [dark
cloud]
•Anxiety [impending
doom]
•Sleep Disorders
•Sleep Deprivation
•Jet Lag
•Anemia
•Hypothyroidism
[under-active]
•Substance Abuse
•Side Effects of
Prescription or OTC Drugs
•After Effects of
General Anesthesia [up to one year]
•Hypothermia [cold] and
Hyperthermia [hot]
•Poor Nutrition
•Vitamin D, B12, and/or
Potassium deficiency
•Dehydration [older
adults must drink 64 oz. daily]
•Bipolar and other
Axis I disorders
•Hearing Impairment
•Multitasking
•Worry and Stress
•Caregiving [Burn-out]
•Family Strife and
Discord
•Weather-related
Disaster
•Displacement [hotel,
temporary housing] and Relocation
•Normal pressure
hydrocephalus, or NPH. Flow of spinal fluid is blocked,
causing fluid to accumulate within ventricles in the brain, compressing brain
tissue. NPH can be confirmed or excluded through a CT or MRI scan,
and it may be corrected through surgery in most patients. See my blog
posting on NPH.
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AgeDoc 's Pearls of
Wisdom
The brain is like a
computer. Cognitive SLOWING is normal aging. The
older brain is like an older computer. It works fine but it has
slower retrieval than a new computer. The “memory” is there in the
hard drive… and so the memory is not “lost.” Besides, an older
person has more “files” up there, right?
Asking “what is this?”
for a common everyday object is a RED FLAG! Picking up the remote and
asking, "What is this?" is NOT normal and requires follow-up with a
geriatric physician. However, losing keys and losing the remote is
NORMAL... at any age.
