If I Had - A Memory Problem - Dr. Barry Gordon, MD, PhD

To see video, double-click the triangle above.

Transcript of the Video:

On a recent trip to Baltimore, we caught up with Dr. Barry Gordon. He is a founding member of the Mind-Brain Institute and directs the Johns Hopkins Memory Clinic. He has authored over 100 scientific papers and book chapters. He is also the author of the book, " Memory: Remembering and Forgetting in Every Day Life."

If I thought I had a memory problem, if I thought I was forgetting people's names more than I should, if I couldn't remember people's names I used to remember, if I was locking myself out of my car, or forgetting even where I parked my car more often than I thought I should, what I would do is I'd go to either a:

• Psychologist
• Neurologist
• Psychiatrist

PREPARATIONS

But I'd go there with my spouse or someone else who knows me very well. The reason I would do that is because of something potentially very good. People are actually fairly bad judges of their own memory. A lot of people complain about their memories that don't have any problem at all. Some people with nearly perfect memories think their memory is below average. So I have to be very concerned if I think I have a memory problem, that my judgment of the memory problem might not be good. It may be that my standards are too high, I may be depressed or anxious, it could be lots of things.

Coming in with a spouse or someone else who knows me well can help provide a perspective that the doctor really needs.

What I then need to do to go to the doctor is think through and have my spouse or friend think through:

• When did this begin?
• What have I noticed or what have they noticed?
• How bad is it?
• Did I forget to pick up the kids?
• Did I leave water boiling?
• Did I forget to pay my taxes? Was it something more ordinary? And actually not even be worried if I forgot to pay my taxes, because that kind of thing happens to people.
• How bad were the episodes of forgetfulness? How serious were they? How often did they happen?
• Everybody is entitled to forget something serious once in a while. But is it happening daily? Is it happening every five minutes?
• Has it been changing? Has it gotten worse or better?
• Are there days when things when things seem to be good? Are there days when things seem to be very bad? That's important to note.
• Have their been other changes in me?
• Do I think that my judgment is bad?
• Has my personality changed? Does my spouse or close friend think that has happened or not happened? Those are important things.
• Has there been any change in my medical condition at all?
  • My general medical condition
  • Medications I am taking
  • Things that aren't even medication that I am taking, like have I just discovered a new health food and I am eating it up all the time.

That is what I would go in armed with when going into my doctor. The doctor won't be able to make a determination well without that kind of information or having that outside person's information. I'd also, being a doctor, think to myself, I really should do this if I am worried.

WHY SHOULD I GO?

A lot of people say, "If I have a memory problem, it is going to be Alzheimer's Disease, why should I do anything at all? There's no cure, what can I do about it anyway?"

Actually, most memory complaints in the ordinary world are not Alzheimer's Disease. Some of them have very effective treatments, such as depression. Regardless of what it is, people will be able to take care of it better and the doctor will be able to manage it better the earlier it gets diagnosed. I tend to encourage people, as I would encourage myself, to go in earlier rather than later.

There's an average of about three years between when people first notice memory changes in a spouse to when they first get a diagnosis of Alzheimer's. That's three years that might be put to better use.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

The management of a memory problem depends on what's causing it. If it is a memory problem that is related to ageing:

• I try to reassure people.
• I suggest memory management techniques. There are several books available that are very helpful, including ones I have authored.

People can improve their memory quite often or improve their memory functioning a great deal by just some simple techniques, including:

• Paying attention.
• Putting things that you don't have to strain yourself to remember where they are in places where you can't forget them. For example, instead of putting your car keys in some novel place every morning, put them in the same place by the door so you HAVE to find them on your way out.
• Making lists
• Carrying little cards, as many people do.

Techniques like these work for basic, simple memory things.

The other thing that surprises people is, being in good health is as important for memory as having good mental health.

• Physical conditioning, especially aerobic conditioning, is now known to be very important to maintain good mental and memory functioning.
• I encourage people to get blood pressure treated, diabetes checked for, not to be overweight and be aerobically fit. That boosts memory abilities and mental abilities.

If you have a memory disease, Alzheimer's, memory disorders due to high blood pressure, Lewy Body Dementia, etc., then there is often more specific treatment possible. But that's really a matter of judgment for each individual patient and each individual doctor, and what they are going to pick out from the armament of available treatments, to the extent we have them, and how each treatment best works for them.

There ARE things that can help those conditions. They don't help them as well as we would like. There are also things people can do to make their lives easier when living with those conditions. A lot of these are described in books. For example, there is Dr. Rabins book, "The 36 Hour Day" for Alzheimer's Disease, and others.

I have a section in my book discussing memory problems, basically for people with relatively mild memory deficits