Expert: Paula Damgaard - 2/7/2010

Question
Dear Paula:  My mom is 80 this year and she has had dementia for many years and was diagnosed with Alzheimer in the last 3 years.  The years kind of flow together. I am an AVM survivor and had a large AVM in left temporal lobe was found in 2002. Had several embolizations and 2 radiations in 2003 to 2005.  Still have a smaller version of it and I have found my difficulty in finding words at times, getting a bit lost driving, and very forgetful. My moms mom we believe had Alzheimer in her last years now we see recognize her symptoms.  I am on hormonal replacement at this time.  I think I might have early Alzheimer but do not know if my symptoms are from the brain radiation?  What can I do?

Answer
D,

I would talk to your neurologist, I am assuming you have one you trust and ask him for a referral for a complete battery of neuropsychological testing.  This is usually a 4 hour battery of tests which will allow them to tell you exactly what is going on with your brain.  From there they should be able to give you a diagnosis.  Of course you know that it isn't a true diagnosis that that can only be given by autopsy.  

Seeing that you suspect your grandmother may have had it and that you think your mother maybe suffering from it I would strongly suggest that you make sure that they do an autopsy on your mom so that you can get documented proof that that is what she has.  Otherwise you can only say that you think she had it.  We are not quite at the point where we can definitively diagnose someone before death.

Getting your testing done will help to provide the doctors with a baseline for you, in case in the future you develop other changes.  

Take care of yourself, it sounds like you have been through a lot.  Paula