Anosognosia: The confusing condition that accompanies dementia

You can also suggest doing activities (like cooking, cleaning, and running errands) together so they don’t feel like you’re taking over or stepping on their toes. Finally, how would you feel if people tried to do things for you that you have always been able to (and still are) able to do?

When they get frustrated, sad, angry, or overwhelmed, defusing the situation by acknowledging their emotions (rather than using logic) can help. And above all, don’t take things personally – you have no control over your cognitive functions and your brain is struggling to make connections like it used to.

Anosognosia can look a lot like stubbornness and/or denial, but know that it is a real condition that can make dementia symptoms so much more overwhelming. The 2021 borderline psychiatry The article notes that anosognosia has been shown to increase over time as dementia progresses and is more common in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease variants that affect the frontal lobe.

The measures to prevent the development or progression of anosognosia are similar to the tips for preventing dementia: maintain a healthy body composition, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly.

Taking a memory supplement may also be helpful — for example, the bioactive citicoline has been shown to improve and improve cognitive impairment increase brain activity in the frontal lobe2according to a 2020 nutrient systematic review.