Purpose & Alzheimers

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Originally Posted by ApatheticNoMore

I find those things the most rewarding, that's what gives me the most enjoyment of life, but as for counting on some long run impact I believe it's unknowable.

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I agree with you 100%. We just don't know. All we can do is our "best," meaning (to me) something close to your vision of how things ought to be. I'm not holding out for an atta-girl or a nobel prize.

I think Alzheimers robs people of their sense of purpose along with other mental faculties. My father had a strong sense of purpose throughout most of his life. He spoke five or six languages and was a prolific writer. But as the disease took over, he lost his ability to write coherently or concentrate long enough to read a book. He became apathetic. Loss of purpose was a symptom, not a cause of the illness.

I read yet another article that said Alzheimer's seems to crop up often in people who have used primarily one side of their brain - the analytical-thinking left-side. Personally, It seems like I rarely get to use the joyful, creative side of my brain anymore. Our current culture stresses information, analysis, etc in so many professions. Anyway...until we know specifically what its cause is...no sense fretting about it.

"Dr. Rae Lyn Burke was a long-time Alzheimer's researcher -- until she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's herself"

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/G...#ixzz23Gm2VwvR

Talk about irony. While I'll agree that the symptoms of alzheimers and dementia can be reduced by actively studying, learning or doing new things - both intellectually and physically active things - it is a purely physical disease and no amount of "life's passion" will help cure it. I agree with Winterberry that losing one's sense of purpose, drive and desires in life are a sypmtom of Alzheimers rather than a cause. Unfortunately I see this as a sypmtom of aging in general, and it seems that many older people without alzheimers or demenia often succumb to this. Why? And why do some and not others?

I don't have a single all-consuming life passion, but have many small, often changing ones at different points in time. I have a lot of interests but have never had a driving passion that shuts out everything else in my life. And for that I am grateful. Having only one thing I am passionate about in life would be like death to me. I want to experience and try and do as much as I can - and then some. While I admire people who do have that one burning passion and are driven to work so hard at that one thing, I don't envy them at all.

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Originally Posted by CathyA

I think sometimes the wrong assumptions are made in studies. Maybe the people who have a "purpose" (whatever the heck that is), tend to have more energy, or have the genetic make-up that tends to be healthier.....and that's why they can be more active and maybe ultimately have a better/healthier system?
Maybe its not like you can avoid dementia by getting a purpose.
On the other hand........I don't think you can deny the mind/body/spirit connection and things that make us happy and keep us interested surely must have a positive effect on our immune systems....??

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I also think that some people who are limited in other ways - say physically handicapped - often have greater, even more defined (singleminded?) passions and interests in life because of those limitations. I think physicist (and boy-genius) Stephen Hawings is a good example of this. Complete physical disability limits his "passions" to totally intellectual activities. So was he born a genius or made one by his handicap? If he were fit and healthy would he spend his days playing basketball down at the YMCA or would he still study physics to the same degree? I wonder...

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Originally Posted by Spartana

I agree with Winterberry that losing one's sense of purpose, drive and desires in life are a sypmtom of Alzheimers rather than a cause. Unfortunately I see this as a sypmtom of aging in general, and it seems that many older people without alzheimers or demenia often succumb to this. Why? And why do some and not others?
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I've read there's a connection between dementia and depression, but that could be confounded by the chicken/egg conundrum. I've also read that in the elderly, depression can mimic dementia. I lean toward the insulin theory, personally.

My aunt stopped driving and being involved in the community and going out and that point she started to withdraw a little bit. One day she fell and hurt her leg on the stone steps leading from her apartment to the street and after that shut herself in the house and isolated herself. That is when we noticed the dementia set in. The doctors at MGH in Boston said that depression can be a catalyst to it and that while she may have gotten Alzheimers not matter what, depression can exasserbate symptoms and result in an earlier onset.