I know that some ataxias have dementia as an associated symptom and am wondering if anyone has been told by their doctor that they have dementia or if it's a common symptom with your specific type of ataxia?
I do not have dementia but I definitely have memory and word retrieval problems. Lately I noticed I say a wrong but similar word, like elbow, when a mean ankle. I saw a neuro-physiologist for testing. He suggested I keep a memory diary so now I write everything down. I also play mental games on my computer and phone to try to keep myself sharp. It helps some but people sometimes people perceive me as being dumb. That is OK because I look drunk anyway! LOL Only I know I have a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology and graduated with a 4.0.
Debra that is the honest truth.People even try to correct you when you say wrong words too.People also act your making up walking issues and other symptoms.So I totally understand .
Memory is a problem I notice also and I try to keep a pen and paper handy and try to make notes that I can look at once in a while in case I forgot something. I notice when I go to the store I sometimes forget where I am going so I get a little panicky until I remember. Jerry
So far no dementia here, just seem so slow and small motor skills are obviously suffering. I would like to know how you write notes, I haven't been able to write anything legible(except on computer) since the ataxia got bad over 2 years ago. I recently wrote some notes on some "work" papers and the next day it looked like gobbledy-gook.
I can write real well but I notice sometimes my writing gets smaller if I don't have reading glasses on. Jerry
I have had small problems similar to those expressed, and recently went through a battery of pscy. test. Results were all well above mean and at or near 2std. deviations (which is exactly what I wish for). I feel that my personally noted decline may be more to normal age detioration. After all, I can't run a sub 3hour marathon anymore, either. That said, I am still off-balance, forget names, what I was doing, can't multi-task, am irritable, and have double vision. I have started Buspar (a mild antianxiety drug) and it does seem to help my aggitation. (It takes one month to become clinical, and I have just passed that.)---Silky
My eye spcialist proscribed a drug which typically is used for patients with dementia. One of the effects of the drug is that it dampens the movement of the eye with patetients with nystagmus.
It seems to help with that, but it also has a noticeable effect with my overall brain function. It’s a little freely, but I like it. I am not sure what the long term effects of the drug are and I am anxious to talk about it with my neurologist at my next annual visit which is in January.
I have cerebellum ataxia. I do have a memory problem, but not too bad, yet. I will have a problem remembering a word, but I usually don't have a problem with the definition. Sometimes if I have a task to do that involves several steps, I may leave one out until I realize what I have done. Of course, notes are important. Tremors are one of my bigger problems.
Over the past six or so months, I have noticed that I sleep through the night an average of ten hours. I must need the sleep.
I do not have dementia, just some forgetfulness (words) which I attribute to my age (60). Also, it's difficult to multi-task which I do attribute to ataxia, as I must concentrate so heavily on every movement I make! People I don't know have been so kind, even though I slur my speech. Sometimes, if someone looks at me cross eyed, as they don't understand me...,ha!, I matter-of-factly tell them I have a neurological disease that causes me to slur my speech. I then say "if you don't understand something, ask me to repeat please". They always say "you're doing fine", and then we go on. I use a cane, so I believe that helps others realize I have a problem.
It is getting harder to talk & sometimes I wonder if I am hard to unerstand. Made me feel good today when daughter and grands I hadn' t seen in several months came through today, and daughter told me it was no problem to understand me. I do have to concentrate on doing one thing at a time these days. I have burned many things, including me, and am so messy any more.
Not being able to multi task forces us to be in the present moment. This is a blessing!
Not dementia but I do have “word blindness” when I can’t find the word I a trying to say - I do attribute this to ataxia,my handwriting is atrocious, can’t multi task, and memory has improved, might be due. To exercise, acquarobi s mostly. My neurologist seems unable to provide any information, sadly
Sadly I'm in the same boat... nice to know that I'm not all alone
This is one of those topics that interest me greatly while scaring me witless. My grandmother who did not have Ataxia ( not her side of the family ) had Alzheimer's that moved into complete Dementia . Her son, my father, who had SCA1 and whom I inherited my SCA1 from, had some Alzheimer's a few years before he passed away, but it was rapidly descending into Dementia right before he died. So, I now have some remembering issues starting, and I wonder what's going to happen because I have Alzheimer's and Dementia both, from the Ataxic side of the family and the Non-Ataxic side.
This is going to be interesting...... Not.