My father was first diagnosed with Alzeimer's but that was retracted after his PETSCAN came back normal. What

Question

What else can this be?

He's having trouble with his memory. He is saying things that don't pertain to conversation. He is also starting to buy things he doesn't need and leaves them in the trunk of his car. Depression maybe?

Answer 1

This could still be Alzheimer's (the worse form of dementia there is) even though the MRI didn't show it. It is very possible that your father could be depressed, and if he is and also has Alzheimer's it could be making the problem worse. I would recommend consulting a geriatric doctor to help you guys figure out what is going on with your father.

(The only way to confirm a diagnosis of Alzheimer's is at autopsy but there is another conditon that affects the elderly that can act a lot like Alzheimer's but this problem can be fixed by placing a shunt in to the person's brain. There's an Alzehimer's board at WebMD that has a nurse expert on the subject that is very good at helping with questions like this. Her name is Barbara Bridges.)

General practice drs are good for almost everyone else but when it comes to seniors especially in a situation like this they need more specific care.