I have a friend who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease

Of late he has been spiralling downwards.
I rang just now to invite him out for coffee tomorrow.
He replied - "Do you know my address, do you know what number my place is"?
I replied "Yes, I know where you live"
He replied "How? I have never seen you here before"
I visit regularly; this is a marked deterioration of his condition. 🙁

This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »

DeWayfarer · 61-69, M

The only thing I can suggest is to visit more often. Alzheimer's affects different types of memory. Mostly it's the short term memory. So repeated visits might make it into long term memory. Longer than a day is short term.

Unfortunately it can be both long term and short term. There's not much can be done with that.

A AI confirmation as well as a tip...

You're absolutely right that sleep plays a crucial role in memory processing.

During sleep, especially in the stages of deep sleep and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the brain consolidates memories, transferring information from short-term to long-term storage.

In people with Alzheimer's, this sleep-memory relationship can be further complicated.

Disrupted sleep patterns are common in those with the disease, which may hinder effective memory consolidation, making it difficult for them to retain information even for a day.

So, while a day can indeed be seen as a threshold where short-term memory starts shifting toward long-term memory, the quality of sleep and overall cognitive function are vital factors that impact this process, especially in individuals with Alzheimer’s