Asperger's Syndrome and Alzheimers

[mycb2]

Has there ever been any research done on people who have Asperger's Syndrome and then get diagnosed with early Alzheimer disease? My husband has both diagnosis' and is extremely difficult to deal with. Does the Alzheimer disease progress faster/slower, or the same because of the Asperger's Syndrome? It becomes very difficult when you add a son in the home who also has Asperger's Syndrome. It would be good to know what to expect. Has anyone else experienced this?

 

[tryingmybest]

I do not have experience of anyone with both but thought I would just say hi. I do have Mum now living with me with dementia and my fiance with AD so I do know how tough it must be for you so sending you a hug. Xx

 

[Shedrech]

hi mycb2
welcome to TP
there's a wide variety of folk here, so some members may well have some ideas for you - it's certainly a good place to chat over any concerns you may have
I tried a quick 'search' but didn't come up with anything
sorry, no direct experience myself, but lots of sympathy as your family has a lot to deal with
best wishes

 

[grove]

Hope This Helps

Has there ever been any research done on people who have Asperger's Syndrome and then get diagnosed with early Alzheimer disease? My husband has both diagnosis' and is extremely difficult to deal with. Does the Alzheimer disease progress faster/slower, or the same because of the Asperger's Syndrome? It becomes very difficult when you add a son in the home who also has Asperger's Syndrome. It would be good to know what to expect. Has anyone else experienced this?

Hello Mycb , I do not have any experience on any research on this sorry how ever I have in the past worked for the N A S ( National Autistic Society) & have been thinking ( as the NAS are a very specialist body etc ) would it be worth you contacting them ? Can fully understand what a awful situation you are in having too care for 2 people & it might not be easy for you etc Please find below contact details :


Autism Help Line ( which also includes Asperger's )


Phone = 0808 800 4104


Open ** 10.00 > 4.00 pm > Monday > Thursday ONLY *

& Friday = 9.0 > 3.30


OR E Mail supportercare@nas.org.uk


You did not say what support ( if any ) you have for your Son & Husband E G local NAS Support etc ( if so would they able too help or Sign Post you for further help ? Sorry rambling on !



Good Luck & much Love & Support in a very difficult situation


Please post if & when you can if you have any *Research* news / Information > It might help other TP'ers


Love & Kind thoughts


Grove x

 

[Austinsmum]

Don't know if there's been any research but I sympathise with your predicament as my mum has Asperger's and AD - she lived with us for a few years but is now in a home - my husband is on the spectrum and our eldest daughter is an 'Aspy' too. It may be worth checking out the work of Simon Baron Cohen who seems to be the flavour of the month on research into Autism and Asperger's. Chin up!

 

[Kevinl]

Hi Mycb2, welcome to TP.
There are a couple of links below to some research, however, as per the title of the links says one lot of scientist believe there is a connection the other believe it may be a buffer against it. Hope they're some use.
A lot of people ask the same question about AZ and MS, unfortunately I think it's just some people are unlucky enough to get both and that if there was anything in the statistics to show autistic people were more likely to get AZ it would have been picked up before now.
K


https://www.sciencenews.org/article/autism-may-carry-benefit-buffer-against-alzheimer’s

http://www.timesofisrael.com/tau-team-discovers-genetic-link-between-autism-and-alzheimers/

 

[Callandergirl]

Passenger's and Dementia.

My husband has had fronto temporal dementia and particularly during the last 2 years I have seen some similarities between his symptoms and those of the autistic children I used to teach. In fact at times, I have described him to my GP as becoming autistic!! A research project for someone??

 

[katek]

My husband has had fronto temporal dementia and particularly during the last 2 years I have seen some similarities between his symptoms and those of the autistic children I used to teach. In fact at times, I have described him to my GP as becoming autistic!! A research project for someone??

Callender girl

I was very interested to read this (my daughter works with autistic children as a speech and language therapist).

However, I am particularly interested in how your husband got his diagnosis. My uncle has been having various symptoms - weight loss, loss of appetite,lack of strength, tiredness, lethargy - for several years, and despite numerous health tests, doctors have never been able to put a label on. He is 86.

Recently he has become quite withdrawn and lacking in empathy (very different from how he used to be), which are symptoms of fronto-temporal dementia, and his voice has changed too. My aunt is becoming very worried about him and took him to the doctors where he saw a new GP. he scored well on the MMSE and the doctor said he didn't have Alzheimer's, but then GPs do not always know much about the other forms of dementia. The doctor reluctantly agreed for him to have a brain scan in a few weeks (he was very unsympathetic and more or less said they were wasting his time!) at my aunt's insistence. as she is very worried about him and the massive physical and mental changes in him.

I am therefore very interested in your husband's symptoms and how he was diagnosed.

 

[Mehitabel]

Has there ever been any research done on people who have Asperger's Syndrome and then get diagnosed with early Alzheimer disease? My husband has both diagnosis' and is extremely difficult to deal with. Does the Alzheimer disease progress faster/slower, or the same because of the Asperger's Syndrome? It becomes very difficult when you add a son in the home who also has Asperger's Syndrome. It would be good to know what to expect. Has anyone else experienced this?

My husband had both. My experience was that the Asperger's just melted right into the Alzheimer's. The doctors couldn't be convinced there was anything new or different happening. He got more difficult, until I really thought I would have to leave. And then he went into the city on a freezing cold winter night on a bus, dressed in a summer jacket and short shirt, looking for me. Until that episode. no one would believe me.
And this was an incredibly fast demise. I am sure he had had it for years and years, and he concealed it until he couldn't any more.