Five minutes into a test for memory, I’m pretty sure I’m really
dumb, I’ve lost my mind — or both.
Yeah, yeah, I know based on some of my columns some would vote both.
But cut me some slack. Unknown to many people — like me — the earlier
Alzheimer’s disease is detected, the better the chance of stopping it.
Experts report that it can be delayed for as long as two decades. For many
baby boomers, that means a lifetime.
The
Orange County Vital Brain Aging Program advises that if you are 45 or older get checked. The Alzheimer’s
Association is looser. It’s basically if you can’t remember
how to use the microwave, get tested.
After talking to a Mission Viejo finance guy named Ted Esau whose dad died
with Alzheimer’s, I’m taking no chances. Better early testing
than wondering why I interviewed someone.
I arrive at the
Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute in Newport Beach and Celine Keeble, education and screening coordinator,
explains the test in detail with patience and a smile.
She rattles off a list of words. I’m a little overwhelmed and feel
I’m lucky if I’m reciting back half.
Photographer Jeff Gritchen is nearby, and I’m pretty sure he’s
wondering about my sanity. I just hope he doesn’t report back to
our version of Editor Perry White (Clark Kent’s boss, if I recall
correctly) that one of his columnists is bonkers.
The day starts badly. Even Google is forgetful. She — yes, my Google
is a woman — sends me on a detour around a non-existent traffic
jam. I arrive late to the institute next to Hoag Hospital.
Honest, it was Google’s fault that I didn’t know where to go.
Thanks to a subsidy from the institute and community donations, the Vital
Brain Aging Program,
OCBrain.org, only charges $45 and parking is free.
As I register, I fill out a card that will be mailed next year reminding
me to come in for re-testing. But what if I don’t recall the previous
test? The receptionist laughs. They’ll call.
I fill out a list of questions that are similar to an online self-assessment
that the program offers at OCBrain.org. They include memory, depression,
risk factors.
Since the program began seven years ago, some 4,500 local residents have
had assessments. More than 25 percent were referred to their primary care
physician for a check-up.
But three-fourths of those tested were over 64 — well after most
experts advise to start testing.
Much of the reason for getting tested is creating a baseline. If the following
year’s result is lower, adjustments in behavior, diet and medicine
can be made.
Sometimes, Keeble says, the next test shows improved memory.
Ways to protect memory include managing medical conditions, exercising
at least three days a week for 30 minutes, maintaining a healthy weight,
getting seven to eight hours sleep, having low cholesterol, challenging
your mind.
Dr. William Shankle is program director for memory and cognitive disorders at the Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute.
“The big change in my field,” he says, “is that we do
have the ability to test for (impairment) with a simple memory test while
someone is still functioning normally.”
But Shankle adds that it’s a challenge to convince people that memory
testing is as normal and as useful as getting a blood test.
UC Irvine Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders,
too, offers test opportunities. Its focus is research participation. The
website is Mind.uci.edu.
Of those tested through the Orange County Vital Brain Aging Program, 23
percent were impaired.
More men than women were impaired. And — as expected — cognitive
ability declined as people aged. But not as much as you might expect.
Through age 75, fewer than 10 percent of participants were found impaired.
By age 84, that reached 40 percent. By 94, it was close to 75 percent.
But, mind you, being impaired includes a wide range of abilities from simple
memory loss to serious Alzheimer’s.
Keeble asks a list of questions. I admit to some depression, a little memory loss.
When vinyl rocked the world, I could reel off the band members of Led Zeppelin.
But now, I sometimes mix up John Bonham (drums) and John Paul Jones (bass).
I know. Shameful, right?
While Keeble compiles my results, she points out depression and stress
can affect memory.
Fear of testing
Keeble is in the field nearly every day. She reports one of the toughest
things she encounters is fear.
People are afraid they might be getting Alzheimer’s. Yet often it’s
simple aging or normal forgetfulness.
When I was in my 20s, I sometimes locked my keys in my car. I still do.
(Yes, I keep a spare.) I misplace my wallet. Years ago, I found it in
the freezer. Recently, I found it in the garbage.
Still, Keeble encounters true Alzheimer’s. “Some people cry,”
Keeble says.
“It’s true there’s no cure,” she acknowledges.
“But there are lots of things that be done that can impact the quality
of life.”
Engaging different areas of the brain helps create connections, she explains.
Being creative and problem-solving are key. Learning to do something new
such as salsa dancing or taking up piano combine a variety of things that
help with protecting memory.
As we wrap up, Keeble hands me a sheet of paper. It is my memory screen results.
There are no right or wrong answers. But there is an intricate interplay
in the questions that test a variety of brain functions.
The document says: “Normal memory.”
For a test appointment: 949-764-6288. I’ll be back next year.
To view the original article from
The Orange County Register, please click
here.