Memory problems

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Blackeyes

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
36
Reason
CALS
Diagnosis
06/2019
Country
CA
State
SK
City
Swift current
Can someone tell me a bit about als and how it may effect the mind. Lately I’ve noticed larry doesn’t seem to always be processing what I’m saying. Or we are watching tv and I’ll go out of the room and come back and he’s laughing and I said what was said and he stops and looks at me and says I don’t remember. He doesn’t seem to pay attention anymore and tonight he argued with me because I had shot water in his tube and then a half hour later when I was putting him to bed he didn’t remember me doing it. Even tho I had changed the tape and was talking to him while I did it.
If I miss something that happened on a tv show say I will ask him and he takes a long time trying to explain it to me. So I’ve stopped. He remembers lots of things but it’s like he forgets how to tell the story. He’s repeated stories to me and they never vary it’s just talking longer for him to get the words out. His speech has changed but it doesn’t seem to be about forming the words. If that makes sense. I know als can cause a form of dementia is this what is happening?is there a test to determine? Any suggestions on anyway to help him with it?
 
I'm sorry, Swift. Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be a consequence of ALS. There are simple tests -- you can self-administer this one (the UK version, with 3 variants, since there is no Canadian version, and here is the US one, but it's no big deal which one you use) as a rough indicator of dementia. The cutoffs are 25 and 21.

You can also ask him to go through a neuropsychology battery at clinic. I personally would not see the point unless the results entitle him to some greater level of benefits or he himself wants to know.

Empirically, it sounds like there is some cognitive dysfunction, however it's labeled, and at the end of the day, you will want to roll with it as best you can, in many ways same as you would do for Alzheimer's and the like -- staying positive, understanding that he may have more unease about it in lucid moments than he can say, presenting simple choices to him as needed, patience and all the things that Tillie and others will tell you about. If he gets depressed or mean, there are meds that may help.

Best,
Laurie
 
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