Dementia - Unexpected Stories Of The Mind

Episodes

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Dave2023041120230909 (R4)Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller explore cases of rare dementias to reveal dementia is not what we think it is.

Dr Jules Montague is a dementia specialist, and William has personal experience of its impact having cared for his father, theatre director Jonathan Miller, who died of Alzheimer's in 2019. Together they explore the science behind the symptoms and the poignant and extraordinary ways in which families navigate their lives as a result of these conditions.

In this episode, they meet Dave and his wife Gill. In 2020 Dave was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies - or DLB. This dementia is commonly misdiagnosed at first because of its unusual symptoms. Hallucinations are a typical feature of this condition and cause Dave to see rabbits and cats in his living room, even though he knows they aren't there.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Dave who has Dementia With Lewy Bodies.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller explore cases of rare dementias to reveal dementia is not what we think it is.

Dr Jules Montague is a dementia specialist, and William has personal experience of its impact having cared for his father, theatre director Jonathan Miller, who died of Alzheimer's in 2019. Together they explore the science behind the symptoms and the poignant and extraordinary ways in which families navigate their lives as a result of these conditions.

In this episode, they meet Dave and his wife Gill. In 2020 Dave was diagnosed with Dementia with Lewy Bodies - or DLB. This dementia is commonly misdiagnosed at first because of its unusual symptoms. Hallucinations are a typical feature of this condition and cause Dave to see rabbits and cats in his living room, even though he knows they aren't there.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Dave who has Dementia With Lewy Bodies.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Geraint2023041020230902 (R4)In this five-part series, neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller go into the homes of people with rare dementias, to discover that dementia is not what we think it is.

It's a common misconception that dementia is a condition that only affects memory - but Alzheimer's is only one form of dementia, there are many more. Because the symptoms of rare dementias can be so atypical, often in younger people, those with rare dementias wait twice as long for a diagnosis and a third are initially misdiagnosed.

The symptoms of these dementias go far beyond memory loss. William and Jules meet a man who hallucinates cats and rabbits in his living room, a novelist who is losing her words, a former teacher who cannot see what's right in front of her, and a family struggling with a genetic legacy that has defined their past and could determine their future.

Dr Jules Montague is a dementia specialist, and William has personal experience of its impact having cared for his father, theatre director Jonathan Miller, who died of Alzheimer's in 2019. Together they explore the science behind the symptoms and the poignant and extraordinary ways in which families navigate their lives as a result of these conditions.

In this episode, they meet Geraint and his wife Jacqui. In 2020 Geraint received a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia - or FTD - which results in a profound transformation in behaviour and personal identity.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Geraint who has frontotemporal dementia

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

In this five-part series, neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller go into the homes of people with rare dementias, to discover that dementia is not what we think it is.

It's a common misconception that dementia is a condition that only affects memory - but Alzheimer's is only one form of dementia, there are many more. Because the symptoms of rare dementias can be so atypical, often in younger people, those with rare dementias wait twice as long for a diagnosis and a third are initially misdiagnosed.

The symptoms of these dementias go far beyond memory loss. William and Jules meet a man who hallucinates cats and rabbits in his living room, a novelist who is losing her words, a former teacher who cannot see what's right in front of her, and a family struggling with a genetic legacy that has defined their past and could determine their future.

Dr Jules Montague is a dementia specialist, and William has personal experience of its impact having cared for his father, theatre director Jonathan Miller, who died of Alzheimer's in 2019. Together they explore the science behind the symptoms and the poignant and extraordinary ways in which families navigate their lives as a result of these conditions.

In this episode, they meet Geraint and his wife Jacqui. In 2020 Geraint received a diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia - or FTD - which results in a profound transformation in behaviour and personal identity.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Geraint who has frontotemporal dementia

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Gill and Natalie2023041220230916 (R4)Neurologist Dr Jules Montague and William Miller unlock the mysteries of rare dementia.

In this episode, they meet Gill and her daughter Natalie. Gill has Huntington's disease or HD, a rare inherited dementia. Those carrying the gene have a 50:50 chance of passing it on to their children. Natalie has not yet been tested.

The genetic component of HD and its inevitable outcome are extremely difficult to come to terms with and Gill and Natalie talk openly about this.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Jules Montague and William Miller meet Gill and Natalie, who face a rare genetic dementia.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Neurologist Dr Jules Montague and William Miller unlock the mysteries of rare dementia.

In this episode, they meet Gill and her daughter Natalie. Gill has Huntington's disease or HD, a rare inherited dementia. Those carrying the gene have a 50:50 chance of passing it on to their children. Natalie has not yet been tested.

The genetic component of HD and its inevitable outcome are extremely difficult to come to terms with and Gill and Natalie talk openly about this.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Jules Montague and William Miller meet Gill and Natalie, who face a rare genetic dementia.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Jo2023041420230930 (R4)In the last episode of their series uncovering rare dementias, neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Jo, who has primary progressive aphasia (PPA). A novelist, she is losing her ability to speak, read and write.

PPA (previously called semantic dementia) usually affects people in their 50s and 60s. This condition erodes vocabulary. People with PPA have difficulty finding the right word. They also lose knowledge of what words mean and what objects are for.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Jules Montague and William Miller meet Jo, who was diagnosed with semantic dementia at 53.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

In the last episode of their series uncovering rare dementias, neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Jo, who has primary progressive aphasia (PPA). A novelist, she is losing her ability to speak, read and write.

PPA (previously called semantic dementia) usually affects people in their 50s and 60s. This condition erodes vocabulary. People with PPA have difficulty finding the right word. They also lose knowledge of what words mean and what objects are for.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Jules Montague and William Miller meet Jo, who was diagnosed with semantic dementia at 53.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Susan2023041320230923 (R4)Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller continue their journey through the world of rare dementias.

In this episode, they meet Susan and her husband Terry. Susan has posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare neurodegenerative condition that means she can't see what's right in front of her, even though her eyesight is normal.

PCA affects the part of the brain responsible for visual processing. Its seemingly bizarre symptoms make this condition particularly prone to misdiagnosis.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Jules Montague and William Miller meet Susan, who has a rare type of dementia called PCA.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller continue their journey through the world of rare dementias.

In this episode, they meet Susan and her husband Terry. Susan has posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), a rare neurodegenerative condition that means she can't see what's right in front of her, even though her eyesight is normal.

PCA affects the part of the brain responsible for visual processing. Its seemingly bizarre symptoms make this condition particularly prone to misdiagnosis.

Details of organisations offering information and support with dementia are available at the BBC Action Line here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/1Y8B7y39T07GnTlMsLPJG2S/information-and-support-dementia

Producer: Eve Streeter
Original music: A Brief Encounter by Max Walter
A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Jules Montague and William Miller meet Susan, who has a rare type of dementia called PCA.

Exploring the science behind the symptoms of people living with rare dementias.