Is it Alzheimer's?

Individuals suffering from Alzheimer's Disease (AD) may forget how to get back home, or how to count change, or how to dress up. This is very different in comparison to a person who missed an exit on the way back home, or made a mistake when counting money, or wore his socks inside out. A person suffering from AD will typically not be fully aware of these mistakes, thus deny the difficulties, whereas a person making a mistake that resulted from poor concentration will, in most cases, realize the mistake and be able to correct it.

It is believed that one in every ten people will have AD, at the age of 65 and five out of ten will have AD at the age of 85. AD, which is the most common form of dementia, a condition characterized by confusion, disorientation and inability recalling recent events, is a very serious illness involving progressive deterioration of brain cells, and so far has no cure. Even diagnosis of AD is difficult and is usually done by exclusion, which means that when all other possibilities are ruled out, for instance brain tumour, or severe depression, then a diagnosis of AD can be concluded.

One of the common tests that has proven very efficient in identifying AD (and dementia in general), is the clock drawing. In the test, the patient is given a circle which represents the face of a clock and is asked to mark the numbers from 1 to 12 and then show a specific time. Individuals with AD find this simple exercise very difficult to do, and will usually mark some or all of the numbers as well as the time, incorrectly.

Can you protect yourself against Alzheimer's disease?

A long-term study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked closely at the mental habits of 700 nuns and priest over the age of 65. Researches found out that those participants who engaged in various brain-stimulating activities where almost 50 percent less likely to experience AD.

Dr. Robert Friedland, a neurologist at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, conducted a groundbreaking study which indicated that people between the ages of forty and sixty who engaged in physical and mental activities such as playing games, reading, hobbies and physical exercise, were significantly less likely to have AD when they reached their 70's in contrast with people who had spent more of their time involved in passive activities such as watching television excessively. 

The principle: Use it or lose it definitely applies to cognitive performance. Here is some good news. By following the principles and exercises outlined in this program, apart from improving your memory and concentration, you may also be reducing your risk of having AD later in life.  In fact, if you work with this program and increase your mental and physical activities, you will improve the overall quality of your mental life for many years to come.