If you are over 60 and occasionally have memory lapses…
In the following analysis the French Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière – Paris Hospitals / addresses the subject in a rather reassuring way:
“For some time now, I have been stuck and I do not know what we were talking about … Before, I was afraid it was the beginning of Alzheimer’s … but today, after reading this article, I am reassured.”
“If anyone is aware of his memory problems, he does not have Alzheimer’s.”
- I forget the names of families …
- I do not remember where I put some things …
It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory. “The information is always in the brain, it is the “processor” that is lacking. This is “Anosognosia” [ a word of Greek origin that roughly translates to “without knowledge of disease.” You may also hear it called “lack of insight.” What it boils down to is that the person is unaware of their condition and unable to accept it. ] or temporary forgetfulness.
Half of people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease.
The most common cases are:
– forgetting the name of a person,
– going to a room house and not remembering why …
– a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress,
– a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys …
Temporary memory loss, not a disease
After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years … Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statements:
- Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory.
- Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer’s, are not aware of what is happening.”
Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights: “The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness.”
Now for a little neurological test, only use your eyes!
1- Find the C in the table below!
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
2- If you found the C,
Then find the 6 in the table below.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
3- Now find the N in the table below. Attention, it’s a little more difficult!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
Passed these tests?
If you pass these three tests without problem:
– you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist.
– your brain is in perfect shape!
– you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer’s.
In this day and age, each of us is inundated with stimulii and information all day long from many different sources, radio, TV, cell phones, iPads, laptops and computers. Our brains are burdened by a constant barrage of planning, thinking, preparing, doing things, always on the go. How can anyone remember everything with so much data jammed up there each day and constantly increasing?
