Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor announced last week that she is in the early stages of dementia. What is dementia, and how does it differ from Alzheimer’s disease? Dementia describes symptoms that include memory loss, difficulty performing daily tasks and trouble communicating. It does not have a definitive diagnosis, though it can…
Nearly 6 million people in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, including more than 90,000 in Greater Louisville. Chances are you know someone with one of these diseases. “Alzheimer’s and other dementias slowly take away a person’s ability to communicate,” said Bradley S. Folley, Ph.D., neuropsychologist with Norton Neuroscience Institute. “These changes in…
James Pritchard vividly remembers his professional boxing career, down to details of almost every match. And there were dozens upon dozens of matches. “This is me back in the ‘80s. I was young then,” James, 56, said as he flipped through photos of himself in the boxing ring. Though his speech is slurred, he can…
Alzheimer’s disease has been compared to everything from a ruthless thief to a raging wildfire — one taking away everything and one destroying everything in its path. While science and medicine work to find answers, no sure-fire ways are yet known to prevent or cure this irreversible disorder that now affects someone in the United…