Fwd: Boston Meeting -- Part 2 -- Cognitive Function

[Guest guest]

,

Here's a re-post of the write up on cognitive issues that Jan Burg

mentioned.

Carol

I took especially good notes in this part of the meeting because it's

a problem that affects Rob and because Dr. Dan Press did such a good

job of explaining the issues. Here goes:

Cognitive issues:

- Occur only in some patients

- Only in " frontal lobe " tasks

- Does not correlate wtih the duration of the illness

- NOT dementia

Most types of cognition are spared in MSA. These functions usually

remain intact:

- Short term memory

- Long term memory

- Overall intelligence

- Language function (diffferent from speech)

Frontal Lobe functions can be impaired:

- The frontal lobe contains the " working memory " , or the abiltiy to

maintian information on-line.

- This includes the executive function, which is the ability to

order and manipulate tasks for maximum efficiency.

Working Memory

- Served by a frontal-subcortical network of regions of the brain.

- DOPAMINE CRITICAL FOR WORKING MEMORY FUNCTION (emphasis is mine!)

Possible contributors to working memory deficits:

- Normal aging (having a senior moment!)

- Depression

- Sleep problems

Additional causes in MSA

- Related to MSA pathology

- Subcortical deficit due to basal ganglia dysfunction

- Other medications

Treatment for working memory deficit

- Behavioral

- Pharmacological

Behavioral

- Avoid multi-tasking

- Break up tasks into parts, write them out, use as a checklist

- Use organizers (electronic or paper)

- Avoid sleep depravation

Pharmacological

- Stimulants

- Ritalin

- Adderal

- Antdepressants

- Not SSRI's

- Wellbutrin or Effexor

- Provigil (modafinil)

On to part 3....

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

Carol, thanks for passing along all this info to us. Please, what are

SSRI's...I'm not familiar with that. My husband, Tom takes 50 mg Zoloft

daily.

Thanks,

Sandy B.

[Guest guest]

Hi Sandy,

SSRI's are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, a class of

anti-depressants. These include Prozac, Paxil, Celexa, and Zoloft and

perhaps others.

Please note that avoiding SSRI's is ONE doctor's approach. If your husband

is on Zoloft and it is helping him without any bad side effects, there is no

reason to discontinue. If he's having any side effects or the medication is

not helping you might want to discuss with his doctor the possibility of

switching to a different type of antidepressant.

Hope that helps,

Carol & Rob (who takes Effexor)

Lexington, MA

Re: Fwd: Boston Meeting -- Part 2 -- Cognitive Function

> Carol, thanks for passing along all this info to us. Please, what are

> SSRI's...I'm not familiar with that. My husband, Tom takes 50 mg Zoloft

> daily.

> Thanks,

> Sandy B.

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Carol,

I didn't read the original write up by Jan Burg but have to say that my

husbands cognitive ability and short/long term memories have definitely been

part of this disease as far as his abilities have been seen in the three

years he's been diagnosed. He also has major dementia and was just seen by

his nuero last Tuesday and he confirmed this.

S

Fwd: Boston Meeting -- Part 2 -- Cognitive Function

> ,

>

> Here's a re-post of the write up on cognitive issues that Jan Burg

> mentioned.

>

> Carol

>

>

>

> I took especially good notes in this part of the meeting because it's

> a problem that affects Rob and because Dr. Dan Press did such a good

> job of explaining the issues. Here goes:

>

> Cognitive issues:

> - Occur only in some patients

> - Only in " frontal lobe " tasks

> - Does not correlate wtih the duration of the illness

> - NOT dementia

>

> Most types of cognition are spared in MSA. These functions usually

> remain intact:

> - Short term memory

> - Long term memory

> - Overall intelligence

> - Language function (diffferent from speech)

>

> Frontal Lobe functions can be impaired:

> - The frontal lobe contains the " working memory " , or the abiltiy to

> maintian information on-line.

> - This includes the executive function, which is the ability to

> order and manipulate tasks for maximum efficiency.

>

> Working Memory

> - Served by a frontal-subcortical network of regions of the brain.

> - DOPAMINE CRITICAL FOR WORKING MEMORY FUNCTION (emphasis is mine!)

>

> Possible contributors to working memory deficits:

> - Normal aging (having a senior moment!)

> - Depression

> - Sleep problems

>

> Additional causes in MSA

> - Related to MSA pathology

> - Subcortical deficit due to basal ganglia dysfunction

> - Other medications

>

> Treatment for working memory deficit

> - Behavioral

> - Pharmacological

>

> Behavioral

>

> - Avoid multi-tasking

> - Break up tasks into parts, write them out, use as a checklist

> - Use organizers (electronic or paper)

> - Avoid sleep depravation

>

> Pharmacological

>

> - Stimulants

> - Ritalin

> - Adderal

>

> - Antdepressants

> - Not SSRI's

> - Wellbutrin or Effexor

>

> - Provigil (modafinil)

>

> On to part 3....

> --- End forwarded message ---

>

>

>

> If you do not wish to belong to shydrager, you may

> unsubscribe by sending a blank email to

>

> shydrager-unsubscribe

>

>

>

>

>