Krembil Neuroscience Centre (KNC)

Neurodegenerative - Memory Disorders

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A memory disorder is a problem storing and/or retrieving memories. It can be mild or severe, and is often the result of a disease or injury that affects the brain. Dementia is the most common condition caused by memory disorders. In Canada, we will likely see an exponential increase in the next 30 years of people suffering for dementia. The most significant risk factor for memory disorders is age.

The Memory Clinic at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre is made up of a group of specialized health-care professionals who provide comprehensive care for patients. Our team approach ensures both patient care and support for caregivers by providing access to neurologists, geriatricians, nurse practitioners and social workers.
The Memory Clinic is also actively involved in research and clinical trails. We have a satellite clinic at the Whitby Mental Health Clinic where many of these programs take place.

Some of the symptoms of memory loss can include:

Changes in performing daily activities and/or changes in job performance
Becoming more forgetful: that is, having trouble with short-term memory
Needing more reminders
Forgetting recent conversations
Asking the same question over and over again
Forgetting appointments, special occasions, and/or forgetting to take medications
Difficulty finding the right word or losing one's train of thought in mid-sentence
Regularly misplacing items, such as keys or wallet
Difficultly looking after finances (writing cheques, banking or investing money)
Getting lost in familiar areas
Changes in personality: for example, feeling sad, irritable or less interested

The following are common memory disorders:

Dementia – condition lost some mental abilities that impact on daily living (caused by a disease).
Alzheimer’s Disease (leading cause of dementia in the elderly population)
Amnesia
Brain Injury or disorder
Sports Injury

Did you know?

Dementia progresses slowly at first
It can look like depression as some individuals can become withdrawn or apathetic
Daughters are the second largest group of caregivers.

Tips for caregivers:

Learn as much as you can about Alzheimer’s disease (Alzheimer’s Society of Canada)
Prepare to make health care decisions for your loved one
Take the necessary precautions to protect your loved one from dangers, such as falls, burns, wandering from home
Seek out adult day care programs in your community
Take care of yourself

For an in-depth video presentation on Alzheimer’s disease for care givers click here for patient education videos.

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