I Can’t Find My Keys – Should I Be Worried? Freddi Segal-Gidan, PA, PhD Assistant Professor Clinical Neurology, Family Medicine & Gerontology Keck School of Medicine of USC Director, Rancho/USC California Alzheimers Disease Center (CADC)

Goals ● Recognize early warning signs of Alzheimers disease and other memory disorders ● Identify what you can do to minimize cognitive decline ● Know how to communicate memory concerns with your medical provider

Forgetting where you put the keys may be normal – part of normal aging Forgetting how to use a key is NOT NORMAL

Memory Problems More common with increasing age Not normal part of aging Dementia is: Not only memory problems Changes in brain function from disease Produces symptoms (change) in multiple areas of brain function Cognition (Thinking; problem solving, judgement, memory, language, etc) Behavioral & Personality Functional decline

Risk Factors for Cognitive Decline with Age Non-Modifiable Modifiable Age Gender Race Family history genetics Obesity Hypertension Diabetes Heart disease Hyperlipidemia Physical inactivity Smoking Alcohol & drug use

Women and Dementia Women live longer than men – age is #1 risk factor for dementia Risk of dementia doubles every 5 yrs after age 65 3 of 4 people over age 90 are women 50% over age 80 have some cognitive impairment Women over age 60 twice as likely to get dementia as breast cancer Across all regions of the world, dementia disproportionately affects women.

Remember these three words… APPLE TABLE BLUE

Can you remember your … Birthdate First grade teacher’s name Elementary/High school name First boyfriend/girlfriend/kiss What you ate for dinner last night Where you parked your car this morning ATM PIN or email password(s)

What were the three words ? How did you remember them? What strategies or tools do you use to remember? Repetition Visualize Make connections/links Create habits/patterns Lists Post-it notes

Key Signs: When to Suspect Repeating questions and stories Inability to recall recent events Misplacing things and not finding them Forgetting how do something they always did well Inability to learn new information even with repeated trials Inability to complete usual tasks Missed appointments/birthdays/holidays Repeated mistakes in medications Getting lost/confused driving Personality changes

What to do if you have concerns Take warning signs seriously Express concern Don’t be confrontational Speak with a medical provider Provide examples Expect (demand) evaluation Don’t accept excuses

Pillars of Brain Health Physical Exercise. YOUR BODY: GET MOVING. ... 90 mins/wk minimum Food & Nutrition. EAT SMART, THINK BETTER. ... You are what you eat – Mediterranean diet Medical Health. CONTROL MEDICAL RISKS. ... Hypertension, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, Smoking Sleep & Relaxation. REST WELL. ... Mindfulness, meditation, yoga Mental Fitness. YOUR MIND: USE IT OR LOSE IT. ... Learn something new Social Interaction. STAY CONNECTED . …

Be Part of the Solution Participate in research Expand understanding of normal aging Increase understanding of course and causes Improve current treatments for patients and families Find new/better treatments RESOURCES National Institute on Aging - https://www.nia.nih.gov/alzheimers/clinical-trials Alzheimers Association (TrialMatch) www.alz.org Bright Focus Foundation – www.brightfocus.org

THANK YOU…….QUESTIONS??? Walk4Alz – Oct 28, 2018 – Century City