The Alzheimer's Association didn't wait to publish my blog post. It went live today, and you can see it here.
I was reviewing my 2015, 2017, and 2018 radiologist reports from my MRIs. What struck me was that (after some internet research) my hippocampus volume and lateral ventricle volumes for the 2017 MRIs (two of them) correspond with someone in full dementia, not mild cognitive impairment. (The 2018 report said I had been stable since 2017.)
Between 2015 and 2017 there was deterioration, notably in hippocampus volume. In 2015 they had me in the 36 percentile for men my age, but in 2017 they said <1 percentile. Lateral ventricle volume -- which is void space from loss of brain mass -- put me at >99 percentile both times. The radiologist commented that the difference in hippocampus volume between 2015 and 2017 could be due to differences in technique. They were done in the same facility but with machines of differing capabilities.
From what I read, hippocampus volume < 1 percentile and lateral ventricle volume of >99 percentile correspond with dementia. Funny, I don't feel demented...
In my book, "Beating the Dementia Monster," I describe what has occurred since 2015 when I first knew I had memory problems. (You can find it on Amazon.com.) I have experienced remarkable improvement, and I’m certain that I can share valuable information with many others. In this second edition I continue my story to 2020 and provide greater understanding of how Alzheimer's advances and why what I did worked.
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