I saw an article in a magazine today. In it the diagnosis of dementia is made easy ... easier than by asking 'who is the president' etc. Of course it doesn't point to other causes such as tumors, mini strokes etc.

The person is asked to smell 10 items: menthol, lemon, lilac, leather, clove, strawberry, pineapple, smoke, soap, and natural gas. If you can identify them correctly, you do not have AD.

Too simple? Probably. But it does make me feel happier when I can't remember if I left my drawstring bag in the cafe or not, and get up in the middle of the night to check. No, it's here. But I can identify a lilac bush in the dark!

Love

Martha

That's really interesting! I'm going to post that to my refrigerator, too!

Pat S.

I would be in big trouble! I have no sense of smell. But I will keep that bit of information. Thanks

My Mom's sense of smell and taste started to disappear some years before the dementia became noticeable. (She knew something was wrong with herself, when she longer longed for a hot pastrami on rye with a sour pickle! :-)

But her EARS---they remained in the realm of "Superwoman" her entire life. In fact, one of my funniest memories of how her "repetoire of words" could suddenly come racing back is the time this horrible, nasty rehab doctor (she only had to see him twice, thank gawd!!) absolutely SCREAMED in her ear 'HOW ARE YOU MRS. KANE????? HOW A-R-R-R-E YOU??!!"...and my Mom turned to him and said "Excuse me...I may be crazy...but I'm not deaf, thank you!" LOLOL!! :-) Lynn