Forgetfulness or Dementia?

What's Normal, What's Not, and When to Seek for a Help

Forgetfulness is a normal part of aging. However, scientists now know that most people remain both alert and able as they age, although it may take them longer to remember things.

Art by BP, 2015

Common causes of forgetfulness

Lack of sleep: The greatest unappreciated cause of memory slips is not getting enough sleep. Too little sleep can also lead to mood swing and anxiety, which in turn contribute to problems with memory.

Medications: Sleeping pills, antidepressants, some blood pressure drugs, and other medications can affect memory by causing sedation or confusion. That can make it difficult to pay close attention to new things. If you suspect that a new medication affects your memory talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Underactive thyroid: A faltering thyroid can affect memory. A simple blood test can tell if your thyroid is doing its job properly.

Stress and anxiety: Anything that makes it harder to concentrate and lock in new information and skills can lead to memory problems. Stress and anxiety can interfere with attention and block the formation of new memories or the retrieval of old ones.

Depression: Common signs of depression include a stifling sadness, lack of drive, and lessening of pleasure in things you ordinarily enjoy. Forgetfulness can also be a sign of depression - or a consequence of it.

Minor head injury also called a concussion: Classically, someone with concussion has a headache, appears confused, and has loss of memory around the time of their head injury. Most people with concussion make a full and quick recovery and do not need any treatment. In most cases, concussion does not lead to any long-term problems. However, it is important to note that anyone who has had a head injury, however minor, does need close monitoring for a few days afterwards.

Poor nutrition, dehydration or vitamin deficiency: The body and brain need certain foods to be healthy, so use a balance diet which contains vegetables, fruits, grains, and protein.

Alcohol: Drinking too much alcohol can interfere with short-term memory, even after the effects of alcohol have worn off.

A lot of people experience memory gaps. Some memory problems are worth to worry, and others are not. People who have serious changes in their memory, personality, and behavior may suffer from a form of brain disease called dementia. Dementia seriously affects a person's ability to carry out daily activities. Alzheimer'sdisease is one of many types of dementia.

Dementia is a group of symptoms that are caused by changes in brain function. 

Dementiasymptoms may include asking the same questions repeatedly; becoming lost in familiar places; being unable to follow directions; getting disoriented about time, people, and places; and neglecting personal safety, hygiene, and nutritions. People with dementia lose their abilities at different rates. Dementia is caused by many conditions. Some conditions that cause dementia can be reversed, and others cannot. Further, many different medical conditions may cause symptoms that seem like Alzhimer's disease, but are not. 

Sometimes older people have emotional problems that can be mistaken for dementia. Feeling sad, lonely, worried, or bored may be more common for older people facing retirement or coping with the death of a spouse, relative, or friend. Emotional problems can be addressed by supportive friends and family, or by professional help.

When Ask for a Help

https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/publication/forgetfulness  

Age-Related Memory Loss

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/memory/age-related-memory-loss.htm

Vaccine for Alzheimer ’s Disease - New Approaches, New Hope

Current state of the science and what you need to know.

 Art by Basia P, 2015

Alzheimer’s is caused when amyloid  beta (Αβ)  and tau proteins clump together in the brain – known as plaques and tangles respectively – and cause damage to cells. Current treatments for Alzheimer’s disease focus on improving the symptoms, but few are able to slow the progression of the condition.

Basia P, 2016

Scientists have developed a novel form of vaccine targeting amyloid-beta and tau protein triggering Alzheimer’s disease.

"Essentially what we have designed is a vaccine that makes the immune system produce antibodies and those antibodies act like tow trucks so they come to your driveway, they latch on to the breakdown protein or car and they pull it out of the driveway,” said Flinders University medicine professor Nikolai Petrovsky, ABC News reported.

In animal studies, the antibodies work best to block a-beta before the subjects have developed the disease. Interestingly, the antibodies are effective at reversing the buildup of tau proteins once the disease has already progressed. At this moment, the vaccine is still not yet ready for human trials, but according to Petrovsky, “given the demand for a vaccine, if we show it is successful in the early stages we expect this will be pulled through and turned into product very, very quickly.”

Read more:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/alzheimers-disease-tau-protein-vaccine-391883

https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=2532

http://www.nextavenue.org/alzheimers-vaccine-horizon/

https://alzheimersnewstoday.com/2016/07/18/progress-alzheimers-vaccine-preclinical-tests/

Learn Words From Context - Get Success in Reading - "Wavertree’s Return"

“…vocabulary knowledge is essential for success in reading. 

Students cannot understand what they read without understanding what most of the words mean. Decades of research have confirmed the important role that vocabulary plays in reading comprehension and in students’ overall academic success.” (Hiebert & Kamil, 2005)

Basia by Wavertree, September 24th, 2016!

As your child's first teacher: 

Take your child to the local events. 

Read fliers, posters, headboards and signs. 

Help your child to find new words and their meaning. 

Vocabulary which is learned in an active way stays with the child forever.

See Basia's last weekend big event:

Wavertree returns to the South Street Seaport

https://goo.gl/photos/Kh5LcorNP4hnxKM48

Historical Facts about Wavertree:

• Wavertree was built at Southampton, England in 1885 for the Liverpool R.W. Leyland & Company.
• She was named after the Wavertree district of that city.
• Wavertree was one of the last large sailing ships built of wrought iron. Today, she is the largest afloat.
• The ship was first employed to carry jute between eastern India (now Bangladesh) and Scotland.
• When less than two years old the ship entered the "tramp trades", taking cargoes anywhere in the world.
• In 1910, after sailing for a quarter century, the ship was dis-masted off Cape Horn and barely made it to the Falkland Islands. Rather than re-rigging the ship its owners sold it for use as a floating warehouse at Punta Arenas, Chile. Wavertree was converted into a sand barge at Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1947. This ship was discovered in 1967 at the Riachuelo River in Buenos Aires by an American citizen working on a sand barge and acquired by the South StreetSeaport Museum in 1968.
• The ship was sent to the Arsenal Naval Buenos Aires for restoration. In 1969 after restoration was complete, the ship was towed to New York. The vessel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1978.
• Wavertree is an excellent example of the sort of ships one might have seen on any given day here at South Street, the “street of ships.”
• https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org/visit/street-of-ships/wavertree/
• Wavertree returened to the South Street Seaport from restoration on September 24th, 2016!

Living with Teacher Collins Syndrome - “Wonder” novel by R. J. Palacio

It is a great book to read and learn about life with Treacher Collins syndrome.

 Basia with Renata Golaszewska-Adamczyk's Dolls

Dolls by Polish Artist Renata Gołaszewska-Adamczyk

http://www.rgadolls.com/

Content below comes from Wikipedia 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_(Palacio_novel)

“Wonder is a children's novel by Raquel Jaramillo, under the penname of R. J. Palacio, published on February 14, 2012. Palacio was compelled to write Wonder after fearing that her younger son (who at the time was three years old) would react badly after noticing a girl with facial birth defects was sitting beside him as they were waiting in line to buy ice cream. Palacio attempted to remove her son from the situation so as not to upset her or the girl's family but ended up only intensifying the situation. NatalieMerchant's song "Wonder" had her realize that the incident could teach a valuable lesson. Palacio was inspired by Merchant's lyrics and she began writing. The book has a released spin-off, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Brown's Book of Precepts. In August 2015, the book Auggie and Me was published. A film adaptation is set for release in 2017.

Natalie Merchant - Wonder

Plot of the Book

August "Auggie" Pullman is a 10-year-old living in the fictional neighborhood of North River Heights in Upper Manhattan. He has a rare medical facial deformity, which he refers to as "mandibulofacial dysostosis", more commonly known as Treacher Collins syndrome and a cleft palate. Due to numerous surgeries, Auggie had been home-schooled by his mother, but his parents decide to enroll him in Beecher Prep, a private school, for the start of middle school in the fall.

Auggie visits Beecher with his mother and meets the school director Mr. Tushman, along with three students: Jack Will, Julian Albans, and Charlotte Cody. Although extremely self-conscious and scared of being around kids his own age, Auggie gradually gets used to and even begins to enjoy school. He befriends Jack as well as a girl named Summer Dawson, who sits with him during lunch when no one else would. Julian, however, barely conceals his disgust at Auggie's appearance, avoids him and often makes hurtful remarks. He bullies Auggie and hates him for the way he looks.

During Halloween, when Auggie didn't feel like wearing his Boba Fett costume, he wore a "Bleeding Scream" costume instead. Unrecognized at school, he overhears Jack telling Julian in homeroom he would "kill himself" if he looked like Auggie. Feeling hurt and betrayed by Jack, Auggie wants to quit school, but his 15-year-old sister Via convinces him not to. Auggie confides the incident to Summer. Jack notices that Auggie has become quiet and distant; he asks Summer why, and though she won't divulge the secret, she says "Bleeding Scream" as a hint. At first, he isn't aware that Auggie heard of what he said and believes that he's just avoiding him for no reason, so he starts avoiding him too. In December, however, Jack realizes Auggie had overheard what he said and realizes that he also heard that Jack was pretending to be friends with him, leaving Jack shocked. In science class, Auggie and Jack are partners for a project. When Julian asks the teacher if he could be Jack's partner instead, Jack declines. But when Julian calls Auggie a "freak," Jack punches Julian in the face in retaliation. As a result, Jack is suspended for two days for his actions. Knowing that Julian would get them both in trouble for bad-mouthing Auggie, Jack does not tell Mr. Tushman what happened. Julian's mother says that Auggie does not belong in Beecher Prep, as it is not an "inclusion school", but Mr. Tushman and everyone else disagrees with her. Jack sincerely apologizes to Auggie, saying he didn't mean to say the stuff he said about him, and they become friends again.

Throughout the rest of the school year, Auggie faces many obstacles, mostly due to ringleader Julian encouraging his "gang" to avoid and isolate Auggie and Jack. Julian puts mean notes in Auggie and Jack's locker; Auggie and Jack write back in defense. However, things begin to change during a class overnight Nature Reserve camping trip when Auggie and Jack are attacked by seventh-grade students from another school who insult Auggie. Not only does Jack defend Auggie, but several other classmates: Miles Noury, Henry Joplin, and Amos Conti (formerly part of Julian's crowd) come to his defence and befriend him.

At the graduation ceremony, Auggie is awarded the "Henry Ward Beecher medal" which "honors students who have been notable or exemplary in certain areas throughout the school year." He gets a standing ovation, takes pictures with everyone (something he had always refused to do) and goes back to his house for a party to celebrate. The book ends with his mother whispering in his ear, "You really are a wonder, Auggie."

Main Characters

August "Auggie" Pullman: The main character. His face is deformed due to "mandibulofacial dysostosis" or "Treacher-Collins syndrome", along with other facial malformations. He faces many difficulties when he enrolls in his first year of middle school after being home schooled for many years. In the end, he is able to make new friends and accept himself for who he is.

Olivia "Via" Pullman: August's older sister. She talks about Auggie and the hardships of being a sister of someone who is deformed in Part 2. She truly cares for Auggie and will always defend him. Often, Via feels jealous of the attention Auggie receives because of his deformity. She often scolds herself and feels guilty for feeling this way.

Summer Dawson: One of Auggie's first and best friends. She sat next to him on the first day of school when no one else would. She didn't care what the other students thought of Auggie, and was always very kind to him.

Isabel and Nate Pullman: Auggie and Via's parents. They care deeply about Auggie and Via, but due to Auggie's problems, Via is often unintentionally left out. Isabel and Nate work with Auggie to make sure going to private school instead of being home schooled is ultimately his decision.

Jack Will: August's best friend. Mr. Tushman asked Jack, Charlotte, and Julian to give August a tour of Beecher Prep. At first, Jack did not want to be friends with Auggie because of his facial deformity. He thought it would prevent him from being friends with the "popular kids." He, at first, pretended to be friends with Auggie, but was devastated when August found out, but they become friends again. Later, he comes to genuinely appreciate August for who he is.

Julian Albans: The main antagonist. He dislikes Auggie and tries to convince the other students that if they touch him, they will develop "The Plague." He bullied Auggie and told most of the grade to isolate him, and Jack Will for becoming friends with Auggie. At the end of the story, Julian's parents take him out of Beecher, as they say they don't feel Beecher Prep is an "inclusion school" and they think Auggie shouldn't have been admitted.

Justin: Via's boyfriend. He is somewhat shocked by Auggie's appearance but is very kind to him. He has a main part in "Our Town" with Via at their high school. In his part in the book, he doesn't capitalize his "I"s. He also mentions that he has "tics," especially when he is nervous and describes them as "hard blinks" and "the occasional head pull." This leads the reader to believe that he has a form of Tourette's syndrome. Justin also gets to meet Via's parents. Also, the reason why in Justin's chapters there is no proper punctuation is because he thinks it takes too long to write.

Daisy: Via and August's first dog. She was August's first true friend. She was an old dog, and at the end of the book has to be putdown. August's family then gets a new dog named Bear.

Miranda Navas: Via's friend. Via, Miranda, and Ella were friends. Miranda had recently cut her hair into a bob and dyed it pink, and dressed in a manner that she would have never dressed before. Via is shocked by Miranda's new look, and the two former friends slowly drift apart. Miranda took care of August and thought of him as her own "little brother;" when she went to summer camp, Miranda lied and told everyone August was her brother.

Mr. Tushman: The director of Beecher Prep. He is extremely welcoming and positive towards Auggie throughout the course of the school year. He tries his hardest to make him feel welcome at school. He delivers an important speech at graduation where he says "if every single person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world would be a better place."

Edward "Eddie" Johnson: The secondary antagonist. He is a 7th grader who bullies August when he goes to a sleepaway camp.

Mr. Browne: Auggie's first teacher in 5th grade at Beecher Prep school. As he makes precepts for the class to ponder Auggie is marveled at these precepts. Mr. Browne wants to give Auggie a good year at Beecher.

Mrs. Garcia: Assistant to Mr. Tushman.

Bear: August and Via's second dog.”