"The disease can take longer to diagnose in midlife because other health issues that can cause similar symptoms (such as thyroid disease, vitamin B-12 deficiency or depression) must be ruled out first," Beth Macy for Parade Magazine November 13, 2011.
A good article in Sunday's Parade Magazine. The article gives examples of what is normal forgetting and what is not. The article also recommends that a person, for whom there is memory or cognitive concerns, receive an evaluation from a physician or a memory care specialist, such as geriatrician, neuropsychologist, neurologist or geriatrics-trained psychiatrist. These specialities may not be available in all areas, and I personally recommend a neuropsychological evaluation by a neurologist. It is important to rule out medical causes first (such as the thyroid disorder, etc.), but then I think it is imperative that the person take a battery of neurological/psychological tests. The information gleaned from this testing will inform the caregiver which parts of the brain and cognitive functioning are more and/or less intact. Very valuable information when one then sets up an environment to support the independence of the person with dementia.
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