I hit midlife feeling totally overwhelmed. I couldn’t concentrate, couldn’t prioritize. I chalked it up to menopause, or maybe just a series of “senior moments.” But then I found a therapist who understood exactly my problem: I had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In fact, I’d been living with it all my life — but the drop in estrogen caused by […]
Take Care of Your Senses: The Science Behind Sensory Loss and Dementia Risk
The sight of grandchildren’s faces, the smell of home cooking, the sound of a friend’s voice: We process so much of life through our eyes, ears, and nose. While many older adults experience some decline in their senses as they age, there is growing scientific evidence that these changes may also be related to dementia and overall brain health. About one third of older adults […]
How the Aging Brain Affects Thinking
The brain controls many aspects of thinking — remembering, planning and organizing, making decisions, and much more. These cognitive abilities affect how well we do everyday tasks and whether we can live independently. Some changes in thinking are common as people get older. For example, older adults may: Be slower to find words and recall names Find they have more […]
Vascular Dementia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
Vascular dementia refers to changes to memory, thinking, and behavior resulting from conditions that affect the blood vessels in the brain. Cognition and brain function can be significantly affected by the size, location, and number of vascular changes. Symptoms of vascular dementia can begin gradually or can occur suddenly, and then progress over time, with possible short periods of improvement. Vascular dementia can occur alone or be a part of […]
What Causes Memory Loss? Assessing Symptoms and Seeking Help
Various conditions can cause short-term or long-term memory loss and affect thinking or behavior. It can be difficult to know what to do if you’ve noticed changes in yourself or a family member or friend — particularly changes related to memory loss, thinking or behavior. It may just be normal forgetfulness, or it may be something more serious. It’s natural […]
How Is Alzheimer’s Disease Treated?
Alzheimer’s disease is complex, and it is therefore unlikely that any one drug or other intervention will ever successfully treat it in all people living with the disease. Still, in recent years, scientists have made tremendous progress in better understanding Alzheimer’s and in developing and testing new treatments, including several medications that are in late-stage clinical trials. Several prescription drugs are already approved by the U.S. Food and […]
