Dementia can stall in its progress

Chris100

Registered User
Nov 19, 2021
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0
I have read that the progress of Dementia can stall in its progress. Is that something anyone can confirm?
 

silkiest

Registered User
Feb 9, 2017
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Hi @Chris100, dementia had many causes and each cause has different ways of presenting. Vascular dementia in particular can have plateaus and sudden changes. Alzheimer tends to be a steady progression but the speed can vary hugely. My MIL was diagnosed with cognitive impairment 11 years ago and not diagnosed with Alzheimers until 6 years later and she is still coping reasonably well at home. My mum ( also with Alzheimers) diagnosis changed within 6 months from cognitive impairment to alzheimers and less than 2 years later I am seeing weekly deterioration and wondering how much longer she will be capable of living safely at home.
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
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South West
Hi Chris 100 it’s difficulty were all individuals so impossible to get defined answer for several reasons like the persons age, their attitude, are they strong willed and positive and so on also there are different types of dementia or I prefer to call it Mental Illness I say because in 1999 I was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2003 & 2004 after a PET & SPECT scans it was Frontal-temporal-dementia Chris so after 22 + years I’m still capable to reply to your question ok I’m not brilliant at writing but there again I’m very well educated either you have to live for the moment don’t worry about things you can’t control :);)
 

Chris100

Registered User
Nov 19, 2021
155
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Interesting you should talk about being well-educated. One post indicated that people who are better-educated do well on 1st visit to Memory Clinic on the Addison ( ? ) test.
It would be interesting to know across the range of Dementia patients whether education is equally represented. Sounds harsh but is there data?
 

Sarasa

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Apr 13, 2018
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Nottinghamshire
I’ve heard it explained that your brain is like a series of road networks. On a road if the way is blocked you can find a way round by using a different route. If you are somewhere with few roads that is going to be more tricky. The same with the brain. If your education means you have more neural pathways you can find a way round a blockage at least for a while. I think having an advanced education also means you tend to try an work things through in a more logical manner.
My mum and my mother in law are both 93 and both have advanced dementia. They are also both intelligent women. A few years back it was obvious that mil was managing better at coping with her decline in cognition than my mum. That was partly due to their very different personalities but also I felt to mil having been educated to PHD level whereas mum had about three years formal education.
 

Countryboy

Registered User
Mar 17, 2005
1,680
0
South West
Interesting you should talk about being well-educated. One post indicated that people who are better-educated do well on 1st visit to Memory Clinic on the Addison ( ? ) test.
It would be interesting to know across the range of Dementia patients whether education is equally represented. Sounds harsh but is there data?
Hi Chris 100 I think “Sarasa” gave a good explanation with the {road way being blocked } I can remember my Consultant telling me a similar thing to imagen the information in my brain travelling a group of say 10 telephone wires but in my case 2 wires were broken so it had reroute through the remaining 8 wires as for education well I was borne at beginning of WW2 when time were hard so from an early age I was working in the fields School wasn’t important back then I left school aged 15 but from age of 8 only attended school 50% of the time so not much education but that doesn’t mean I hadn’t learnt anything of course I can only assume that it was similar for most 80+ year olds to day , when I was asked a question by Consultant I couldn’t answer :D I would turn tables and soy Ok Dr ****. let me ask you a few questions obviously he couldn’t answerer mine either ;)
 

Chris100

Registered User
Nov 19, 2021
155
0
Hi Chris 100 I think “Sarasa” gave a good explanation with the {road way being blocked } I can remember my Consultant telling me a similar thing to imagen the information in my brain travelling a group of say 10 telephone wires but in my case 2 wires were broken so it had reroute through the remaining 8 wires as for education well I was borne at beginning of WW2 when time were hard so from an early age I was working in the fields School wasn’t important back then I left school aged 15 but from age of 8 only attended school 50% of the time so not much education but that doesn’t mean I hadn’t learnt anything of course I can only assume that it was similar for most 80+ year olds to day , when I was asked a question by Consultant I couldn’t answer :D I would turn tables and soy Ok Dr ****. let me ask you a few questions obviously he couldn’t answerer mine either ;)
Thanks. Good point.i
I’ve heard it explained that your brain is like a series of road networks. On a road if the way is blocked you can find a way round by using a different route. If you are somewhere with few roads that is going to be more tricky. The same with the brain. If your education means you have more neural pathways you can find a way round a blockage at least for a while. I think having an advanced education also means you tend to try an work things through in a more logical manner.
My mum and my mother in law are both 93 and both have advanced dementia. They are also both intelligent women. A few years back it was obvious that mil was managing better at coping with her decline in cognition than my mum. That was partly due to their very different personalities but also I felt to mil having been educated to PHD level whereas mum had about three years formal education.
 

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