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Posted August 2026Most of us over 50 (that's as far as I'm going on age) are not as quick as we used to be. We really just want to know if we are on the down escalator to Geezerville, or whether something more ominous is lurking. I did some research.
Alzheimer's Disease—a diagnosis as fearful as it is final, and one that no one wants to hear. When was the last time you forgot a name and decided you had Alzheimer's? Right after you saw the movie, “Still Alice?” When you started telling a story, and, in the middle of the tale, you forgot the plot? Scared that lost keys, lost phone, or a word you've used thousands of times before suddenly escaping you has a dark meaning? Just in case the stock market isn't enough to worry about, there's always that cognition thing to keep us awake at night.
For me, it's always been difficult to complete a medical history, since I come from a family of heavy drinkers. When all of your family members have livers that fully depreciate around age 60, who knows what conditions might have developed had the organ warranty not expired so soon? While I'm fairly confident that no one had early-onset Alzheimer's, what other conditions have wandered through the genetic jungle of my heritage?
I've worried enough to do some research on dementia. The first thing I learned was that there are actually at least four types of dementia, of which Alzheimer's Disease is only one, although the most common. Vascular Dementia is next, followed by Lewy Body Dementia and Frontal Temporal Dementia. And there are others. Different diseases, different progression, different systems. So the bad news is that you can escape Alzheimer's, but still have dementia.
Okay, quick rundown.
Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's is a slowly progressing dementia. The initial observed symptoms to make the diagnosis are loss of near-term memory and a decline in the ability to perform at least one daily activity. The damage is caused by the accumulation of amyloid and tau proteins in the brain, resulting in plaques and tangles. One theory is that these abnormal structures are toxic and kill other brain neurons. Currently, medical science cannot identify the cause or the cure for this protein flotsam.
Vascular Cognitive Impairment. The second-most common form of dementia, it is caused by damage to the brain resulting from previous strokes. It's pretty easy to identify the cause after an MRI, and, while past damage cannot be corrected, future damage may be prevented. Typical symptoms include memory loss, confusion, and problems with reasoning, and it is often confused with Alzheimer's.
Dementia with Lewy Bodies. This is a less common form of dementia than the first two, and, like Alzheimer's, results from the accumulation of protein deposits, called Lewy Bodies. Dementia caused by Parkinson's Disease is also part of this category. Patients can have similar symptoms as with Alzheimer's, but can also suffer (or not) from hallucinations. They may also develop the movement symptoms associated with Parkinson's, and they may develop sleep disorders. This is the disease that drove Robin Williams to suicide.
Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). Also the result of protein deposits—this time, the culprit is the tau protein. The real difference between FTD and Alzheimer's is the location of the damage. FTD starts in the frontal, or temporal lobes, of the brain, or both, while Alzheimer's damage lies deeper. Initial symptoms depend on the location of the damage. It can take the form of language or behavioral impairment, but memory often remains intact for a time. Language difficulty, also called aphasia, was the initial symptom for Bruce Willis.
These are the main forms of dementia, but there are others, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), which often affects athletes in contact sports, and dementia from the improper use of alcohol or drugs, or resulting from a side effect of prescription medicine. Oftentimes, two or more of these forms can coexist in the same patient.
So, there's more to worry about than whether we remember the name of our second cousin's fourth husband. Speech patterns, math skills, balance, social appropriateness, housekeeping — a change in any of these could indicate a problem.
Fortunately, some experts have laid out what is part of the normal age-related decline vs. what is, basically, the on-ramp to dementia.
With these concepts in mind, let's look at:
You see someone you know on the street, but you go through the entire conversation without remembering his name. It comes to you as you're getting ready for bed. Completely normal. If the name is lost forever, there may be a problem. If you can't remember you ever even met him, jot that down for the next doctor's appointment. If you can't tell him your name, run, don't walk, to the nearest neurologist.
Keep in mind, though, that memory loss is only one symptom. It doesn't qualify as dementia, generally, unless there is also a loss in at least one daily function. If you can still balance your checkbook (for those of us who still do), you're probably okay, but if you can't dress yourself — problem.
You can't locate your keys. If they're ultimately found on the kitchen counter (or in the sink), dresser, or your pocket, normal. If they're in the freezer, okay, just a little weird. (Tell your family that they lack storage imagination.) If they're in the toilet, add it to the list.
You just erupted and chewed somebody out. If it's your neighbor who “borrowed” your lawn mower without permission again, not ideal, but normal. If it's your mother-in-law, hmmmm, sticky, but probably not dementia. A policeman? You've got some anger management issues, but you're probably looking at a night in jail, not a lifetime of cognitive deficits. If it's your bishop, yeah, put it on the list.
You think there's an elephant under your bed. Seriously? You'd better be knee walking drunk (which is how you saw him in the first place), and he'd better be pink.
You've turned seventy and decided to stop wearing a bra. Judging by the ladies on my street, perfectly normal. If you stop wearing any underwear, no problem, just keep it to yourself, please. If you stop wearing anything, better get that looked at (no pun intended).
So, we can't stop this awful thing, although early treatment helps. After all, we can neither cure nor prevent dementia. But worry? If it's coming to us, worrying will not help. “Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life span?” Matthew, 6:27 (New American Bible, St. Jerome edition). Or, as St. Matthew went on to teach, “Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Matthew 6:34.
Bottom line? Go back to worrying about the stock market.
