1. 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)

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. Remember these three words…
APPLE TABLE BLUE

8. 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 password(s)

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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 . …

13. 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 -
Alzheimers Association (TrialMatch)
Bright Focus Foundation –

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