Managing Your Memory

All about memory disorders.

Andrew E. Budson M.D.

When Faced With Unwanted Behaviors in Dementia, Try the 4Rs

Dealing with difficult behaviors in dementia? Try the 4Rs: Reassure, reconsider, redirect, and relax.

Use Antecedents and Consequences to Manage Dementia Behaviors

Once you understand both the antecedents and the consequences of a behavior, making a plan to improve that behavior becomes straightforward.

Trouble with Behavior in Dementia? Try the ABCs

You probably consider the antecedents—what came before—when you are evaluating a behavior. But don’t forget to consider the consequences as well.

How Dementia Makes It Harder to Eat and Drink

Most people with dementia eventually develop problems chewing and swallowing. Here’s what you can do about it.

How Skills Diminish with Dementia

Do you know an older adult having trouble with dressing, cooking, or using the television remote? It may be due to dementia.

Tremors Are Common in Dementia

There are different types of tremors in dementia. Learn to tell them apart.

When Dementia Diminishes Smell and Taste

Although smell and taste are often reduced in dementia, you can do something about it. Start by spicing up your cooking.

How to Manage Incontinence in Dementia

There are many simple things you can do to prevent your loved one with dementia from having accidents.

Why We Need Alzheimer’s Research and What to Do About It

Some politicians have proposed massive cuts to biomedical research and science across the board. Here’s why we need Alzheimer’s disease research.

Does Dementia Cause Falls?

Falls are common in those with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia, and other dementias. Here’s why.

Dementia And Sleep Disorders: A Bad Combination

Obstructive sleep apnea and REM sleep behavior disorder are two common reasons why individuals with dementia are up in the middle of the night. And there are more.

Why Are Sleep Disturbances So Common in Dementia?

Disrupted sleep cycle and poor sleep hygiene are common reasons why individuals with dementia are up in the middle of the night.

Are They Jealous? Do They Cry or Laugh for No Reason?

Jealousy, binge eating, and abnormal crying and laughing are just a few behaviors that occur in dementia. Here's why.

Why Do People with Dementia Suddenly Become Aggressive?

When the part of the brain that allows for a thoughtful pause between stimulus and response deteriorates, anything can happen.

Why Does Behavior Deteriorate in Dementia?

The new parts of the brain that evolved for social cooperation can break down, leading to problems including depression, anxiety, irritability, and agitation.

Have You Been Replaced by an Imposter?

In dementia, your loved one may not recognize you, may think you are someone else, or may even think you have been replaced by an imposter.

Why Do Hallucinations Occur in Dementia?

Hallucinations, illusions, and false memories can all occur in dementia. Here’s how to tell them apart.

We Are Visual Animals

If seeing is believing, what happens when vision deteriorates due to dementia?

The Importance of Body Language in Dementia

The right temporal lobe interprets emotional and other non-linguistic parts of communication—and this non-verbal communication may be preserved in dementia.

Why Does Language Break Down in Dementia?

The frontal and temporal lobes need to work together for language to function—and both are often impacted by dementia.

Can Someone Forget They Have Dementia?

Sundowning, wandering, shadowing, false memories, and even forgetting that one has memory impairment may all occur as dementia progresses.

How Can Grandma Play Piano When She Can’t Recall My Name?

Learn why riding a bicycle and other habits and procedures are generally preserved in dementia.

The Bark That Never Forgets

The outer layer of the brain helps your grandmother recall events from 50 years ago—even though she cannot remember yesterday.

The Seahorse That Remembers

This small brain structure enables virtually all of our memories—and it is easily damaged by a variety of brain disorders.

Why Frontal Lobe Failure Impairs Memory in Dementia

Dysfunction of the frontal lobes leads to difficulty creating and retrieving memories—and to false memories.

Some Dementias Affect Speech and Language First & Foremost

Trouble talking or understanding speech? It could be Primary Progressive Aphasia.

Is the Dementia Due to Too Much Fluid in the Head?

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus can cause dementia—and it is one of the most treatable memory disorders.

Could Eating Sweets Be a Sign of Dementia?

Eating too many sweets, being inconsiderate, and acting inappropriately can all be signs of frontotemporal dementia.

Visual Hallucinations, Acting Out Dreams, and Shuffling Feet

Is your loved one seeing things that aren’t there? He or she may have dementia with Lewy bodies. There are treatments that can help.

What Is Vascular Dementia?

Strokes can cause dementia. You say your loved one never had a stroke? Some strokes are silent and can only be detected by a brain scan.

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