Book contents
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Reviews
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Lost in Thought
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- 1 Physician Heal Thyself
- 2 Evaluating New Advances in Alzheimer’s Research
- 3 Alzheimer’s Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease
- 4 The First Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease
- 5 Kidnapped in Kinshasa
- 6 Smell, Disgust, and Alzheimer’s
- 7 Apolipoprotein-4 (APOE-4)
- 8 Lost in the Fog of Alzheimer’s
- 9 My Father’s “Stuff”
- 10 Face Blindness during a Pandemic
- 11 Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
- 12 Olfactory Impairment in Covid-19 and Alzheimer’s
- 13 Alzheimer’s Disease and Work
- 14 Crossword Controversies
- 15 Can Loneliness Increase Risk for Dementia?
- 16 Excessive Laxative Use and Dementia
- 17 Dog Dementia (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction)
- 18 The Possible Role of Brain Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease May Be More Significant in APOE-4 Carriers
- 19 Surprisingly Good News about the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine)
- 20 More about the Importance of Exercise
- 21 Rolling on the River
- 22 The MIND Diet Revisited
- 23 My Photographs, Then and Now
- 24 Does Cataract Surgery Really Decrease the Risk of Dementia?
- 25 Hearing Loss, Aphasia, and Dementia
- 26 To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
- 27 The Amyloid Hypothesis Is Not Dead, but It May Be Gasping for Breath
- 28 Could Lecanemab Offer a Ray of Hope?
- 29 A Fatal Case of Multiple Brain Hemorrhages Associated with Lecanemab
- 30 Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)
- 31 Hitting the Sweet Spot in the Spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease for Future Trials of Anti-Amyloid Medications
- 32 Disappointing Results of Two Human Trials of Monoclonal Antibodies in Parkinson’s Disease
- 33 Repurposing Old Drugs for Alzheimer’s Treatment
- 34 Writing While Impaired
- 35 Spreading the Word
- 36 Saying Goodbye to Lizzie G
- 37 Amyloid and Tau PET Scans of My Brain
- 38 Running on a Field of Dreams
- 39 Living in the Moment with Alzheimer’s
- Index
- Plate Section (PDF Only)
- References
8 - Lost in the Fog of Alzheimer’s
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 January 2024
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Reviews
- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer’s
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Lost in Thought
- Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Prologue
- 1 Physician Heal Thyself
- 2 Evaluating New Advances in Alzheimer’s Research
- 3 Alzheimer’s Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease
- 4 The First Patient with Alzheimer’s Disease
- 5 Kidnapped in Kinshasa
- 6 Smell, Disgust, and Alzheimer’s
- 7 Apolipoprotein-4 (APOE-4)
- 8 Lost in the Fog of Alzheimer’s
- 9 My Father’s “Stuff”
- 10 Face Blindness during a Pandemic
- 11 Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease
- 12 Olfactory Impairment in Covid-19 and Alzheimer’s
- 13 Alzheimer’s Disease and Work
- 14 Crossword Controversies
- 15 Can Loneliness Increase Risk for Dementia?
- 16 Excessive Laxative Use and Dementia
- 17 Dog Dementia (Canine Cognitive Dysfunction)
- 18 The Possible Role of Brain Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease May Be More Significant in APOE-4 Carriers
- 19 Surprisingly Good News about the Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors (Donepezil, Rivastigmine, and Galantamine)
- 20 More about the Importance of Exercise
- 21 Rolling on the River
- 22 The MIND Diet Revisited
- 23 My Photographs, Then and Now
- 24 Does Cataract Surgery Really Decrease the Risk of Dementia?
- 25 Hearing Loss, Aphasia, and Dementia
- 26 To Sleep, Perchance to Dream
- 27 The Amyloid Hypothesis Is Not Dead, but It May Be Gasping for Breath
- 28 Could Lecanemab Offer a Ray of Hope?
- 29 A Fatal Case of Multiple Brain Hemorrhages Associated with Lecanemab
- 30 Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA)
- 31 Hitting the Sweet Spot in the Spectrum of Alzheimer’s Disease for Future Trials of Anti-Amyloid Medications
- 32 Disappointing Results of Two Human Trials of Monoclonal Antibodies in Parkinson’s Disease
- 33 Repurposing Old Drugs for Alzheimer’s Treatment
- 34 Writing While Impaired
- 35 Spreading the Word
- 36 Saying Goodbye to Lizzie G
- 37 Amyloid and Tau PET Scans of My Brain
- 38 Running on a Field of Dreams
- 39 Living in the Moment with Alzheimer’s
- Index
- Plate Section (PDF Only)
- References
Summary
The fog of Alzheimer’s is a commonly used metaphor, and I think it’s a pretty good one. It refers to the loss of mental acuity, disorientation, and forgetfulness that are common in Alzheimer’s. But one aspect of the metaphor that is not emphasized is that like the fog bank on the ocean, the fog of Alzheimer’s can come and go. It does for me. Sometimes there is an obvious cause such as running a fever, getting too tired, or having a second glass of wine. On the day after I got my second Covid-19 vaccination I was not mentally sharp and had trouble concentrating despite not having any other side effects. Once or twice a week on first awakening in the morning, I think I am in my childhood bedroom. It only takes a few seconds to get reoriented, and it actually is a pleasant rather than scary experience. Sometimes the fog comes in for no apparent reason, lasts a few minutes or a few hours, and then goes away. I wonder what is behind these mysterious, seemingly unprovoked but temporary episodes of cognitive impairment.
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- Dispatches from the Land of Alzheimer's , pp. 34 - 37Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024