Can the symptoms of Alzheimer's be reversed?

Rajiv2007 asked...

My father is a retired proffessor of 62 years. Suddenly he lost his memory last June - July after his operation for piles. Doctors are sayint that he is suffering from Alzheimer's and mild Parkinsons. In last 2-3 months, he has recovered almost 50% long term memory but his short term memory is still poor although now it is better from his previous condition. Is it possible in Alzheimer's to recover the memory? His loss of memory was very sudden and took only almost 2 month. Right now he is taking donep-5, cognix and synodopa - 5.

Expert Answer

Ladislav Volicer, M.D., Ph.D., is recognized as an international expert on advanced dementia care. He is a courtesy full professor at the School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, and visiting professor at the Third Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. Twenty-five years ago, he established one of the first dementia special care units.

It is very likely that your father had a mild stroke that affected his memory. The sudden onset and recovery are strong indications of this. You might want to talk to his physician about antiplatelet medications to prevent stroke recurrence.