TY  - JOUR
AU  - Wollen, Keith A.
AU  - Hoyt, John W.
PY  - 2019
DA  - 2019/04/18
TI  - Daily Observations of Preserved Cognition and Quality of Life after Multiple Therapies for Postmortem-Verified Severe Alzheimer’s
JO  - OBM Geriatrics
SP  - 048
VL  - 03
IS  - 02
AB  - Background: Cognitive abilities in Alzheimer’s Disease are usually examined by formal tests conducted in a laboratory or facility. Such tests are useful for determining the severity of the disease but do not indicate the types of cognition exhibited in the daily lives of patients. This study shows significant preservation of cognition and quality of life in the daily routine of a woman with severe Alzheimer’s who was given multiple therapeutic interventions. Alzheimer’s disease involves multiple dysfunctions prompting several studies that found multiple therapeutic approaches minimized or even reversed the effects of the disease. Methods: The types of cognition displayed in daily living were recorded from the onset of a woman’s symptoms at age 74 to her death 11 years later. Multiple therapies used included prescriptions, supplements, music, exercise, nutrition, extensive social and brain stimulation, and sleep hygiene. Three MRIs and an autopsy were performed. Results: Cognition and quality of life were observed daily over the 11-year course of the disease. Both were significantly preserved in the subject’s final year despite severe Alzheimer’s documented by postmortem and MRI findings. Possible explanations for the preservation include multifactor therapies, cognitive/brain reserve, or some combination thereof. Conclusions: The results suggest that interventions can maintain appreciable cognition and quality of life and should be supported throughout the course of the disease.
SN  - 2638-1311
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.geriatr.1902048
DO  - 10.21926/obm.geriatr.1902048
ID  - Wollen2019
ER  -