A man who drove daily to work in Fargo couldn’t remember one day how to get from West Fargo to East Fargo.

The poor man had a sudden panic attack, thinking he had suddenly developed a bad case of Alzheimer’s disease. Much to his relief, doctors determined he was suffering from a severe shortage of vitamin B-12. After taking supplement shots, the man was just fine.

This true story, told by Carol Thelen, is just one example of how memory losses – even alarming ones – are not always a sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Thelen was the keynote speaker at an Alzheimer’s informational seminar held last week at the St. Francis Xavier Church’s Gathering Place. About 50 people attended the meeting. Thelen is director of the St. Cloud-based Alzheimer’s Association.

Thelen, who had been a long-time teacher and coach, became director of the Alzheimer’s Association because she wants to increase knowledge of the disease and encourage others to push for a cure. Her grandfather died of the disease, as did her father at the age of 73 two years ago.

At the seminar other speakers also shared their experiences. (See related story).

In many cases, memory loss can be caused by other problems, such as strokes, seizures and some types of brain injuries. While Alzheimer’s is one form of dementia (serious loss of brain function), there are other types of dementia caused by factors not related to Alzheimer’s. A precise diagnosis is required. Alzheimer’s, however, is the leading cause of dementia – in about 70 percent of cases. There are three other types of dementia, such as vascular dementia, that have nothing to do with Alzheimer’s. Some forms of dementia, such as dementia caused by a brain tumor, are reversible; Alzheimer’s is not. Although certain drugs are valuable in helping patients live with the disease, nothing currently known can slow down or stop the progress of the disease.

Alzheimer’s is caused by a form of “plaque” build-up in the brain that can cause misconnections between cells and the death of cells.

Two things to know
Thelen said it is important to know two things about Alzheimer’s disease:

1. It is not part of “normal” aging. Some memory loss and slowing of function is a normal part of growing old. The memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s is serious because it interferes – sometimes dangerously – with daily living.

2. Alzheimer’s is not caused by bad diet, lack of exercise or other lifestyle choices. It is an abnormality that develops in the brain and has a genetic factor in many cases. There are 10 genes now identified as triggers for the disease. Three of those genes in particular will definitely cause the disease in people who carry those genes.

Three stages
There are generally three stages in the progression of Alzheimer’s: early stage, which lasts from one to five years; middle stage (2-10 years), late stage (one to five years). Those with Alzheimer’s generally live anywhere from five to 20 years after diagnosis of the disease. However, those who will develop the disease do not know it early on because it can start in the brain up to 20 years before there are any outwardly obvious symptoms.

Many people, Thelen said, are surprised to learn younger people, too, may be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, such as Sandy Oltz of Sartell (see related story). Early-onset Alzheimer’s, as it’s known, accounts for about 5 percent of Alzheimer’s cases and can occur in people between the ages of 30 and 50.

About 10 percent of people between the ages of 65-84 will develop Alzheimer’s, and half of those 85 or older will get the disease. About 60 percent of Alzheimer’s patients are women, mainly because they tend to live longer than men.

On the increase
About 5.4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s, and that number is on the rapid increase as the “baby boomer” generation retires and people begin to live longer. There are 15 million caregivers for current Alzheimer’s patients, and an estimated 17 billion hours of care given each year.

Even though Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the country, research efforts into the disease receive only about $450 million in federal funding compared to $5.8 billion for cancer, $4.2 billion for heart disease and $3 billion for HIV/AIDS research.

Last year, Pres. Barack Obama helped found the National Alzheimer’s Project Act, and research has been intensified, with the goal of finding a cure for the disease by 2025 at the latest. A current hope is to develop a blood test that will be able to determine who will get it because scientists now believe a cure would be much more possible at the first signs of early detection – much like cures for cancer.

Symptoms
Unusual memory loss is one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s disease. However, people should not panic as memory loss can be common, even daily, for people of any age.

Serious memory loss, especially when it’s repeated, could well be a sign. One woman, Thelen said, would keep losing her car keys, up to three times a day. Another woman couldn’t find her overdue library books but finally found them in the freezer compartment of her refrigerator – between two boxes of pizza. Placing objects in such unusual places can be an indicator of Alzheimer’s.

Thelen gave yet another example of unusual memory loss. A couple watched TV the night Obama was elected. They were happy he won, but the next morning the husband did not remember who had won and asked his wife if she knew yet.

But Thelen advises people not to jump to conclusions because, as stated above in this story, memory loss can be caused by other factors, including stress or depression.

Loved ones of people suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s might notice other signs of memory loss.

For example, people might forget the rules of a card game they played and enjoyed for years. In some cases, they might sit back in a room and not participate actively in activities like they used to because memory loss can make them feel “out of the loop.”

Other behaviors that might be indicators of Alzheimer’s are these:

People might become disoriented as to where they are or where they intend to go.

Many people forget what day of the week it is and even seem confused when someone tells them the accurate day.

Some lose track during a conversation and have trouble finding a word they need.

In some cases, people use odd words to name things. For example, they might call a “watch” a “clock” or they might say it’s “snowing” outside when actually it’s raining.

They might have trouble with spatial perceptions, such as while driving.

Some develop poor judgment and will say or do things completely out of character.

They might be overwhelmed by moods such as anxiety, depression, agitation or baseless fears.

Thelen said one of the problems is doctors generally receive only a two-hour introduction to Alzheimer��s detection. However, at certain places such as the Mayo Clinic, experts can now accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with up to 95 percent accuracy after a series of tests.

Caregivers
Eventually, when Alzheimer’s patients enter the late stages, they must be placed in a ‘round-the-clock care facilities. In most cases, they do not know or remember their loved ones, although sometimes fleetingly they do.

Shelly Teff, a Sartell dance instructor, knows that well as her father died of Alzheimer’s, and her mother-in-law now has the disease. Teff has visited the Good Shepherd Home in Sauk Rapids for years, a place she came to love by visiting her father. She is now a regular volunteer who loves to visit the patients in its Alzheimer’s unit.

“They have so much love,” Teff said. “They may not know you, but it doesn’t matter. Just hold their hand.

They love that so much. It’s so rewarding.”

Two of Teff’s young dancing students are now regular volunteers, too – sisters Erin and Allie VanKoevering of Sartell. The residents and staff call the sisters “The Little Angels.” They dance for the residents, do crafts with them and even garden with them in the summer months.

Both girls spoke to the audience at the Alzheimer’s seminar at the St. Francis Gathering Place.

“They always smile when they see us,” said Erin, 13. “It’s fun to get to know them. We dance with them, hold hands with them. They just love it, and we do too.”

Allie, 9, admits she was leery during her first visit to the Good Shepherd Home.

“It was scary the first time,” she said. “But then we had fun. One time we were frosting cookies with them, and one woman was eating the cookie before it was even frosted. They always smile when we come to see them.

And we give each other hugs when it’s time to say goodbye and goodnight.”