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Watching a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia slowly lose their cognitive abilities can be heartbreaking. While the person you once knew seems to be slipping away, sometimes people with Alzheimer’s briefly seem like their old selves again. They may remember a long-forgotten name or suddenly regain the ability to have a fluid conversation. What do these moments of lucidity really mean for the progression of the disease? And what implications do they have for those living with the disease, and their caretakers?
Alzheimer’s researcher Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi talks to Ira about these questions and more.
Further Reading
- Learn more about the Lucidity in Alzheimer’s and Dementia (LEAD) Network
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Segment Guests
Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi
Dr. Andrea Gilmore-Bykovskyi is an associate professor of emergency medicine, and co-director of the Lucidity in Alzheimer’s and Dementia (LEAD) Network at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Segment Transcript
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Ira Flatow is the founder and host of Science Friday. His green thumb has revived many an office plant at death’s door.
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