Autobiographies help delay Alzheimer's disease

By Maria Endah Hulupi

JAKARTA (JP): You may have seen biographies of great world leaders or celebrities displayed on the shelves of book stores, but the Indonesian Alzheimer's Association is encouraging older people to write autobiographies as a way of delaying the possible consequences of Alzheimer's disease.

"It (writing an autobiography) is one of the methods used in the therapy for people with Alzheimer's, but healthy older people can also adopt the technique to keep their brains active and help delay Alzheimer's," said Sidiarto Kusumoputro from the Dharma Jaya hospital for nervous system and mental illnesses located in Mangga Besar area, Central Jakarta.

He also explained that writing an autobiography would motivate healthy older people to use their imagination, language skills and emotions to describe events. All are important to maintaining an active brain.

"People are not aware that their autobiography may one day be very useful, not only for their family members but possibly for society in general," Sidiarto added.

Alzheimer's disease is a degenerative disease starting in the brain that can worsen as the sufferer ages. It is triggered by the death of brain cells and by a reduced level of acetylcholine, an active compound needed for nerve impulse transmission in the brain.

In its "latent" early development, the disease is characterized by benign forgetfulness which causes people to forget basic information like names and dates. But it may develop into mild Alzheimer's disease, which affects the sufferer's cognitive ability -- like language, reasoning, perception and behavior. Most develop sleeping problems, become sensitive and withdraw from daily interaction.

When the illness further develops into Alzheimer's, usually at the age of 50, sufferers start to lose complex abilities like their professional skills and knowledge. They may need help with routine tasks, even combing and dressing.

Without proper treatment within a decade the disease can develop into senile Alzheimer's, characterized by loss of memory, judgment, moral and esthetic value. It is also accompanied by language problems, confusion, irrational and disturbed sensitivity.

"They can even lose their ability to perform simple routine habits, like taking a bath and eating. They become emotional, aggressive and anxious. This is serious and can be fatal," Sidiarto cautioned.

He identified that aging, head trauma and inactive lifestyles could speed up the process. However, he said that people with poor educations are at a greater risk of contracting Alzheimer's, mainly because they are less exposed to brain stimulating activities like reading and crossword puzzles.

Sidiarto said that it is necessary to encourage healthy older people and Alzheimer's sufferers to optimally stimulate their brain potential through activities that sharpen their communication, imagination, socialization, spiritualism and musical skills, and other activities that help channel their emotions.

"Making them talk about the past would also help," he added.

Interestingly, elderly people can explain details of what happened three or four decades ago better than say a week or a few days ago. Sidiarto explained that this is because the brain is better able to retain long-term memories than short-term.

"That's why you can learn a lot about events and celebrities in the 40s or 50s from parents or grandparents, even though they may have difficulty remembering what happened in the 90s or recent years," he added.

Showing older people pictures of old buildings and places they once knew is a good way of stimulating them to remember things that happened in those particular buildings or places.

"The process usually starts by making them explain events from the past that they can still remember and trying to stimulate them to tell more about what happened in the following decades or years. Assist them in remembering the missing information in the last few years," he advised.

Sidiarto added that doctors may prescribe medication to improve concentration or other related problems. "Training and medication should be combined to obtain optimum results," he said.

He also advised family members and care providers for elderly people, especially those with Alzheimer's, to equip themselves with adequate knowledge about the disease and, most importantly, show patience and tender loving care to their aging loved ones despite their bothersome habits.

"This is important because, even though their judgment is not affected by the disease, they still have feelings and harsh reactions or comments from family members would certainly affect them psychologically," he added.