Early Dementia Self Recognition?

[single malt]

I would like to add a comment to this thread but I'm buggered if I can remember what it was

 

[Retired bloke]

I would like to add a comment to this thread but I'm buggered if I can remember what it was

Your car keys are on your bedside cabinet

 

[single malt]

Your car keys are on your bedside cabinet

Are you my wife

 

[Retired bloke]

Are you my wife

Quarter past nine!

 

[single malt]

Quarter past nine!

Drinkie time

 

[naffnickname]

I do also wonder whow much the modern habit of bitesizing all information has eroded concentration and attention span. It had been commented on before the Pandemonium. Certainly so in the young who have never been trained into remembering lists, but I know that my attention span is no longer the sit through the old 1 hour Horizon documentary level and wait for the argumet to unfold type unless very engaged in the subject topic and that is the way we risk narrowing general knowledge. Even knowing this , unless I find myself ungrabbed in the first 2 minutes of a 15 minute mini -doc, I bail. ( And not just the ones that turn out to be puff pieces, but I suppose having reached a certain age and seen a certain amount before also plays into it too - even though it is important to stay abreast of new takes on old subjects. The cosy complacency of maturity, perhaps. )We rush so much we are out of the habit of the momentary pause and checklist before moving on. I panic more about unlocked doors when rushed. less when I take the moment to visualise the steps taken so they recur to memory later.

This is an interesting lecturette about dementia and the mechanics of memory, and I can now claim my browsing habits are fending off jelly-brain . ( I rather enjoy the range of ted talk material available)

 

[rmn]

The trouble many of the cognitive assessments undertaken by a GP is that they tend to be fairly superficial and global in what they test for. Dementias are, as someone stated in an earlier reply, variable in degree, but also in their nature. Different types of dementure are characterised by different presentations according to which part of the brain is affected. My advice, for what it's worth, is to try to build up a picture of the specific possible symptoms you have identified. Most ofwhat you mention could probably be put down to any number of causes.
My concern would be about the issue you have with words.
The main thing to remember is that there are strategies and techniques which can reduce the impact of any cognitive decline.

 

[2000AD]

Some medication makes memory worse such as Gabapentin and Pregabalin often taken for nerve pain. Antidepressants may also effect memory.

Yep,

I've been on pregabalin for a while now due to nerve damage in abdomen. I'm fairly sure it's dulled some cognitive ability.

Up to the point I ended up in the state I'm now in, I was happily running multiple projects along with smaller incidental tasks; nowadays I try to avoid doing so as I find staying on track and in total control of 1 project hugely stressful and tiring.

 

[naffnickname]

Agree with RMN - I have watched my mother cheat at one, have self-coached vigourously after my father's basic test, distracted the young female doctor, looked for the clock as soon as she entered the room. No diagnosis, but the care home know what is what and she was closing down their lives to control what was manageable and avoid new situations, so she still passed untill recently - if you were unaware and she could control the chat and encounter length

 

[Fang_Farrier]

Agree with RMN - I have watched my mother cheat at one, have self-coached vigourously after my father's basic test, distracted the young female doctor, looked for the clock as soon as she entered the room. No diagnosis, but the care home know what is what and she was closing down their lives to control what was manageable and avoid new situations, so she still passed untill recently - if you were unaware and she could control the chat and encounter length

My job used to entail a lot of care home and hospital visits.
Remember seeing one old dear who was bright as a button.

I asked her how she was in the usual opening gambit to which she replied that she was fine but she was very concerned about the doctor.
Apparently he never knew what day it was, which hospital he was working in or who the prime minister was and just had to be reminded every day!

 

[RaiderBoat]

As long as you’re not marching around naked claiming to be KGB-resident, Emcon, or snowy, you’re good to go.

 

[Whey_Aye_Banzai]

I get paid to photograph running races; it's more of a hobby job than a full time occupation, but it's nice to be paid to do your hobby.

Anyway, I turned up to a race the Sunday before last; I had all the correct equipment with me, memory cards formatted, batteries charged and raring to go.

Unfortunately the only thing indicating a race was on was the portaloos; there wasn't a runner in sight.

So I googled the race and found out it was the day prior, ffs.

I honestly couldn't believe I'd prepped all my kit, got up at a sparrows fart, drove for two hours, and I'd missed the race because it was the day prior.

I also seem to be struggling to take the right kit to the gym. I like to shower there after. If I don't forget my towel it's my washbag. If I have my towel and washbag it's an item of clothing to change into. If I remember it all, get showered and go home, I return to the gym to collect my phone which I've left there.

I'm 52.

 

[Richard Headicus]

I get paid to photograph running races; it's more of a hobby job than a full time occupation, but it's nice to be paid to do your hobby.

Anyway, I turned up to a race the Sunday before last; I had all the correct equipment with me, memory cards formatted, batteries charged and raring to go.

Unfortunately the only thing indicating a race was on was the portaloos; there wasn't a runner in sight.

So I googled the race and found out it was the day prior, ffs.

I honestly couldn't believe I'd prepped all my kit, got up at a sparrows fart, drove for two hours, and I'd missed the race because it was the day prior.

I also seem to be struggling to take the right kit to the gym. I like to shower there after. If I don't forget my towel it's my washbag. If I have my towel and washbag it's an item of clothing to change into. If I remember it all, get showered and go home, I return to the gym to collect my phone which I've left there.

I'm 52.

As long as you don't go on the 'Whatever happened to (Insert ARRSE member here?) and ask about @Whey_Aye_Banzai , you'll be fine. Hopefully.

 

[Electromagnetic]

- Urinary Tract infections can cause dementia-like confusion if you let it run. Being of later middle age the obvious symptoms like acid pee don't always register and you can reach the lower abdominal discomfort / pain or even marble-losing stage as a worrying mystery

It is the first thing they test for with geriatrics who are suddenly unusual in behaviour or in a sudden, unexplicable cognitive decline. And it is often a UTI. Clears up with a round of pills. Just take it that I 'know' whereof I babble.

To a layperson the symptoms can be very much like dementia, particularly short to medium term memory.

 

[Electromagnetic]

Haven't encountered this site before but have seen one of the Ted Talks.
5 Awesome Ted Talks on Brain Plasticity

 

[rmn]

To a layperson the symptoms can be very much like dementia, particularly short to medium term memory.

Hence the dictum of excluding possible physical causes before looking at psychiatric diagnosis

 

[naffnickname]

First thing they did when Dad was winding up to a possible Vascular Dementia episode was urine tests. Quite often it was a UTI (or in conjunction with VDe triggers). It certainly feels worryingly dementia-like if you have an settled in and undiagnosed UTI.

 

[Linview]

Just reaching out to the great font of knowledge that is ARRSE.

I THINK I may have an issue of some description but have passed two GP Cognitive Reasoning Tests with flying colours. The way I passed them was by internally chanting the name and address provided at the beginning of tests whilst performing the other tasks. I didn't try to 'remember' the information.

I've always being the type of person to spend half their life looking for the car keys/mobile phone/glasses etc and prone to Spoonerisms but I've noticed some changes recently:

Struggling for names of people well known to me. Usually I can recall forgotten names by knowing it was a short name nickname ending with a 'y' etc which would usually get me there but now I'm suffering complete blanks.

I'm sometimes unable to find the correct words I require during a conversation, usually an adjective (if that makes sense?).

Replacing words with ones that sound the same. Yesterday I used spaghetti instead of confetti! That would have made for a weird wedding.

When typing I'm using similar sounding words for the one I want, down for done etc, plus making more speeling (deliberate) errors than usual.

During meetings I have to take notes to ensure I don't miss any salient points.

Has anyone experienced similar? Do I have a problem or is this just part of the preparation for the inevitable slide towards the grave?

FYI, I'm only 54.

Yes it sounds like the bad type of Aids.

Size 9L.

Edited to add, I've also had a couple of occasions where I've had to work out where I was in the car and where I was going. A complete blank at junctions.

Matron Mr Portman tw@t is out of bed again and he’s shouting at the broom cupboard

 

[postman_tw@t]

Matron Mr Portman tw@t is out of bed again and he’s shouting at the broom cupboard

But I'm only doing it less than 5 times a day now!

 

[postman_tw@t]

I get paid to photograph running races; it's more of a hobby job than a full time occupation, but it's nice to be paid to do your hobby.

Anyway, I turned up to a race the Sunday before last; I had all the correct equipment with me, memory cards formatted, batteries charged and raring to go.

Unfortunately the only thing indicating a race was on was the portaloos; there wasn't a runner in sight.

So I googled the race and found out it was the day prior, ffs.

I honestly couldn't believe I'd prepped all my kit, got up at a sparrows fart, drove for two hours, and I'd missed the race because it was the day prior.

I also seem to be struggling to take the right kit to the gym. I like to shower there after. If I don't forget my towel it's my washbag. If I have my towel and washbag it's an item of clothing to change into. If I remember it all, get showered and go home, I return to the gym to collect my phone which I've left there.

I'm 52.

I'm starting to feel a tad less worried about myself now. Cheers.