Symptoms/personality improving?

[Fiona Simpson]

Hi, my dad is in his 80s and was diagnosed with frontal dementia around 3 years ago although he’d been having symptoms for several years before that.

At the time he was having paranoid episodes and hysterical outbursts, and showing lack of inhibition/social awareness.

Over the past couple of years there have been none of those symptoms, just memory loss, repetitiveness, sometimes confusion, needing reminding to eat/go to the loo etc, help dressing, but the ‘angry’ symptoms have completely gone. He is very calm and content.

Also, my dad was always a difficult, selfish and not very caring person, and we had a distant relationship. However he is now very loving, affectionate and very appreciative of the help and support I give him. To be honest I wish he had been like this before, and it hadn’t taken dementia for that to happen, but I’ll take it now it’s here.

I just wondered if anyone else had experience this reversal of negative behaviours? Everything I have read suggests it should be the other way around.

I realise this will only be temporary and I am just waiting for the bubble to burst, and I know tough times are ahead, but I am enjoying these moments just now.

Thanks

 

[canary]

Frontal lobe dementia is different from the usual type of dementia because it starts in a different part of the brain. The frontal lobe governs the emotions and their control and its the damage here that makes them angry and get loss of inhibitions. With frontal lobe dementia this is affected first and the memory is usually affected later, although with Alzheimers its usually the other way around, so their memory is affected first and they become angry later.

With frontal lobe dementia it is quite common for the anger to "burn out" as the disease progresses. This is what has happened with my OH and it may be what has happened to yours

 

[Grannie G]

My husband`s negative behaviour changed to much more positive as the dementia progressed @Fiona Simpson.

The last four years of his life were the best we had in ages, even though he was in residential care.

He seemed to lose all his paranoia, anger and inhibitions and was a pleasure to be with.

 

[Fiona Simpson]

My husband`s negative behaviour changed to much more positive as the dementia progressed @Fiona Simpson.

The last four years of his life were the best we had in ages, even though he was in residential care.

He seemed to lose all his paranoia, anger and inhibitions and was a pleasure to be with.

That’s lovely, I was worried this was the calm before the storm (which I realise it may still be). Thanks for your reply x

 

[Fiona Simpson]

Frontal lobe dementia is different from the usual type of dementia because it starts in a different part of the brain. The frontal lobe governs the emotions and their control and its the damage here that makes them angry and get loss of inhibitions. With frontal lobe dementia this is affected first and the memory is usually affected later, although with Alzheimers its usually the other way around, so their memory is affected first and they become angry later.

With frontal lobe dementia it is quite common for the anger to "burn out" as the disease progresses. This is what has happened with my OH and it may be what has happened to yours

I had no idea this was a thing, I’ve not found it anywhere one line. Thanks so much for replying, it gives me hope x