[SuziQ]

that cherished recollection of a first kiss, seemingly destroyed by disease, may have simply been rendered inaccessible by obstructed neural pathways.

If my mother was any indication, the older the memory, the more likely she was to have retained it. It was newer memories she couldn't create. But then, she may not have had true Alzheimers, just classic old age dementia.

[MovieMogul]

My grandmother had Alzheimer’s. Totally changed her personality. She thought my sister was her daughter, and had no recollection of my mother.

She also thought it was her husband who went door to door to collect the bodies of those who died from the flu. (It was actually her father who did that.)

Horrible disease.

[AnAmericanMother]

Alzheimers, like ADD, has become a big umbrella under which a lot of things are put that don't really belong.

My grandfather probably had just classic senile dementia, but HIS mother definitely had Alzheimer's -- onset in her 40s, by the time she was in her 50s she had to be institutionalized. So naturally we are all kind of looking over our shoulders . . .

There are some drugs used in combination that are showing real promise for stopping and even reversing memory loss. Aricept and Namenda together seem to be particularly effective.

[ErnBatavia]

It sounds like your mom had more age-related dementia, IMO. I'm the caregiver for both my aged parents - Dad's got the old age, atrophied brain cells version where he can remember much from eons ago, but will constantly yammer on during the entire first half of the day that he hasn't shaved yet.

Mom's more classic Alzheimers - listless, cares nothing about hygiene, confused, etc., etc.

[tioga]

short term memory problems