Andrew E. Budson MD - Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory

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Oxford University Press 2017

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Budson, Andrew E., author. | OConnor, Maureen K., author.
Title: Seven steps to managing your memory : whats normal, whats not, and what to do about it / by Andrew E. Budson, MD and Maureen K. OConnor, PsyD
Description: New York, NY : Oxford University Press, 2017. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016042463 | ISBN 9780190494957 (hardback)
Subjects: LCSH: Memory disordersTreatment. | Memory. | BISAC: MEDICAL / Neurology.
Classification: LCC RC394.M46 B83 2017 | DDC 616.8/3dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016042463

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You walk into a room to get something and forget why

You cannot think of the name of a friend at church even though you have met her a half-dozen times

You cannot remember as many details of important events of your life as your spouse, including those such as your wedding and family vacations

A week after seeing a movie you have trouble remembering the name of the movie and parts of the plot

When you are driving and not paying attention, you take one or more wrong turns and end up somewhere you didnt intend to be

You cannot come back with the correct items from the store unless you write them down and look at the list

You spend too much time looking for your keys, glasses, wallet, or purse

You find yourself having difficulty finding your car in a parking lot

You find yourself looking at the calendar multiple times a day to remember your schedule

Your family tells you that youve asked that question before

Do some of these experiences sound familiar?

Do you find it difficult to know which of these experiences are likely due to normal aging and which are likely due to a memory disorder?

Do you sometimes have these or other memory problems?

Do you joke that you have senior moments or suffer from CRS (frequently translated as, cant remember stuff)?

Have you ever wonderedor worriedwhether a slip of memory could indicate the start of Alzheimers disease?

Do you want to have your memory evaluated but are not sure how to go about it?

Are you nervous about what the evaluation will consist of and what will and will not be covered by Medicare or other insurance?

Would you be interested in taking a medication if it would actually improve your memory?

Are you interested in helping your memory with healthy foods and diets but confused by all the conflicting claims?

Would you like to know whether doing crossword puzzles or playing computer games can improve your memory and stave off Alzheimers disease?

Do you want to start exercising to help your memory but are not sure what is the right type or amount of exercise to do?

Have you been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment?

Have you been diagnosed with Alzheimers disease?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this book was written for you. We can help you with your memory. We can explain which lapses of memory are normal and which are not. We can teach you diets and exercises that can help. We can provide you with strategies and activities to improve your memory and keep it strong. And we can help you know when you should see your doctor and what your doctor should do about your memory problems.

In our practices as a neurologist and a neuropsychologist, we have evaluated several thousand individuals with concerns about their memories, just like you. We help them understand when their memory difficulties are due to normal aging, vitamin deficiencies, or depression and when they are due to diseases such as Alzheimers. Depending upon the cause of the problem, we then recommend particular medications, vitamins, diets, exercises, or group activities, and sometimes even clinical trials of new medications being developed.

So why now and why this book? When we are discussing the results of these evaluations and our recommendations with individuals, we often wish that we had more timemore time to explain our rationale as to why their memory problems are likely due to normal aging versus a serious disorder, more time to explain how and why a medication works, and more time to explain the pros and cons of various treatments and recommendations. This book provides us with the opportunity to tell you all of the information about these and other topics, from which you can take in as little or as much detail as you would like.

Although you may feel worried about having memory problems, today there is more we can do to diagnose and treat memory problems than ever before. In just the last few years there has been an explosion of new diagnostic tests and criteria to help evaluate memory loss, as well as a huge expansion in our knowledge of treatments, diets, and exercises to help memory in individuals aging normally as well as in those with mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and Alzheimers disease. (Yes, we can even help those diagnosed with Alzheimers disease.) This book is our opportunity to share these advances with you and help you manage your memory in seven basic steps.