Friday, February 25, 2022

Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimers

 


 A previous essay dealt with dementia. It included signs of dementia and guidelines for normal aging contrasted with dementia. Lifestyle factors were addressed along with some of the non-reversible dementias that included Alzheimer’s. There’s an estimated 6.2 million Americans 65 and older  living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021 of which 72% are aged 75 or older. One in nine people age 65 and older or 11.3%  have Alzheimer’s dementia. Almost ⅔ of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. According to the Alzheimer’s Association,  “Someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s dementia every 66 seconds.” The state with the highest rate of Alzheimer’s is Alaska. Although California ranks second among highest rates of life expectancy, it also ranks fifth In Alzheimer’s disease mortality per CDC.This essay deals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s  Disease with a suggestion for a more comprehensive  treatment model.


Briefly, the progressive disease of Alzheimer’s was first identified by Alois Alzheimer  In 1907.He identified, with an autopsy, the proliferation of plaques and tangles in the brain. It is believed  that the pathology of Alzheimer’s  begins over 20 years before the symptoms  are noticed.   Result , the disease has been progressing for years.Even people in their 30s and 40s  are affected in areas of memory, and thinking. In essence,, baby boomers are the fastest-growing segment in our population


Unfortunately , even today,there is not 100% accuracy with the diagnosis. Despite that  fact, researchers have identified  areas of  Impaired cognitive functioning in different brain areas. Deficits include: progressive memory impairment; time and spatial disorientation; receptive language impairment; anomia or poor object reasoning; decreased word finding; vague statements with impaired abstract thinking; acalculia or  impaired  arithmetic calculation;agnosias or Impaired object and facial recognition; apraxia or difficulty performing purposeful movements;apractagnosia orInability to use objects correctly; personality changes; progressive decreased emotional expression;sleep disturbance; delusions, hallucinations, depression  and /or anxiety .


Alzheimer’s disease affects up to 50% of the people aged 85 and older.. There’s an increased frequency from age 50 onward. Not only that ,,Alzheimer’s pathology is found in 65 to 85% of all  dementias. This is an irreversible progressive disorder in which brain cells or neurons deteriorate resulting in the loss of cognitive functioning with major effects in the cerebral centers and to the hippocampus specifically. ‘


Dementia is a complicated diagnosis. For example,there are more than 50 kinds of neurodegenerative dementias including the most common which is Alzheimer’s. A study of 1400 older men and women  showed that 45% had plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s  disease. Further, many people had a combination of two or more pathologies or dementias. Autopsies showed that most of the older people who get dementia, 65-85% have plaques and tangles of Alzheimer’s in their brains. However only 30% of these people had  Alzheimer’s disease. The rest have evidence of Alzheimer’s pathology  plus vascular dementia or stroke. Having more than one type of  dementia appears to accelerate deficits and speed of decline.


The  progressive disease of Alzheimer’s has been characterized by stages: 1. Mild confusional  state 2-7 years 2. Mild-to-moderate impairment-2 years 3.Moderate impairment–18 months 4. Severe impairment-21/2 years 5. Very severe impairment–1 to 2 !/2 years. In essence, the progression of this disease begins with procedural memory impairment such as recent facts and proceeds until  the person requires 24 hour maximum assistance.


There are many risk factors for Alzheimer’s  disease dementia which of course are related to genetics and lifestyle  choices. The following are a few: :increasing age; more women than men ;cardiovascular disease; insulin resistance; traumatic brain injury;chronic inflammation ;high blood pressure; estrogen deficiency; non stimulating mental lifestyle; low level of education;low socioeconomic status ;low level physical activity; job with low learning challenges , obesity; high cholesterol; smoking  drug and alcohol abuse ;chronic gum disease;diet low in fruits and vegetables; long-term stress; anxiety and depression. Incidentally, those that don’t get Alzheimer’s disease are independent living centenarians.


One can undergo a mental status examination; a neurocognitive evaluation; neuropsychological testing; various physical protocols  such as evaluating cerebral spinal fluid, Pittsburgh Compound  B; PET scan, laser test for accumulation of beta amyloid and several blood tests measuring levels of certain proteins altered by Alzheimer’s disease .Even at death the brain autopsy, can be misleading. So these  techniques and measurements still do not give a 100% certainty as far as an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.Yes they point  to the likelihood of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.


Unfortunately ,at this point in time, there is no one comprehensive approach or program to treat mild cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s. We have  controversial doctors like Dale Bredesen; functional medicine and nutrient treatment; aging programs in medical hospitals, Alzheimer's Associations, outpatient neurologists and neuropsychological testing.


Why not incorporate a program to address many of the symptoms experienced by those with mild cognitive impairment. We know that these individuals experience visual motor and perceptual difficulties; perceptual distortion; spatial visualization and orientation problems. We also know that some individuals , because of the difficulty with words, learn better either employing auditory or visual techniques. We also know that these individuals experience declarative memory; decreased word finding; and  acalculia difficulties.


With the above being said, it makes sense to create a post school learning environment. A school setting makes sense  because of the availability  and training of  elementary school teachers that can teach reading, grammar,writing, spelling, arithmetic and PE. Further, resources include the availability of teaching   music, art, board games,computer skills with the importance of interpersonal interaction .  Moreover, a team of a school nurse, reading disability teacher, speech pathologist and school psychologist are also important. In other words,teaching, learning and memory are skills first taught in elementary schools.I would also add  a nutritionist to provide breakfast and lunch employing a Mediterranean style diet.


Schools  can evaluate and learn to provide service with special consultation. Involve Medical Centers,  state health departments, federal government agencies and  monies,Medicare and  insurance companies  to fund a pilot program with a built in evaluation. This program  addresses mental stimulation, exercise, diet with the importance of interpersonal interaction. Individuuals would still have  their primary care physicians and neurologists to rely on for their physical health. 


Reference


  Institute  For Natural Resources, Understanding Dementia.


Friday, February 18, 2022

A Cognitive Disability

 


According to polls, roughly ¾ of Republicans believe that Trump won the 2020 presidential election. Covid- 19 and Omicron Infections, vaccination rates, and death from heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer hospitalizations are  from not fully vaccinated individuals . Descriptions of spme of these Republicans are related to the following : Identifying with an Authoritarian leader;exhibiting an immoral conscience(  fearful of disapproval, obedience, loyalty ,noncritical thinking ans unlawful behavior) ;pursuing political power;desiring wealth: racism; taking away abortion and voting rights of others along with primitive, magical, paranoid, suspicious and supernatural beliefs.The human brain plays an important part. and can be used to describe these followers. This disquisition focuses on the GOP  and its ability to  fraudulently deceive a significant number of their base as a result of their damaged intellectual functioning.


An elementary overview of the human brain. The adult human brain  weighs about 3 pounds and is the size of the medium cauliflower. It has about 100 billion  neurons  and a number of synapses.These neurons may have as many as 100 trillion or one quadrillion possible connections  between them. These neurons in the brain are responsible for movement ,perception, sensation, language and thinking .Neurons consist of three parts .They are the dendrite, cell body, and axons. Dendrites  take in information and axons send out information.Other cells in the brain are called glia  and these cells provide structure and act as the brain's immune system.The brain has neurotransmitters which are the chemical messengers that pass between the axon of one neuron and the dendrite of another. Do not forget about the two hemispheres of the brain.Generally the left hemisphere of the brain  controls speech, language ,basic reading ,writing and arithmetic. The right side of the brain controls some aspects of language such as intonation, and visual spatial functions like recognizing forms, geometry, navigation, complex mathematics, art and music. In essence, the human brain is  the most complex biological structure that exists and can be easily damaged.


In aging  there is a cumulative loss of cells in the brain which affects  DNA. This initiates cell death or an accelerated loss of cells without adequate replacement or the ability to  regenerate.Our human body consists of fat, muscle, bone, water, and other substances and they all change as we age.Further,there is less cerebral blood flow and reduced amounts of some of the neurotransmitters (Acetylcholine , Noradrenaline,Dopamine, Serotonin, GABA,Glutamate, Endorphin and others) that are affected in the aging process.This results in reduced speed of information processing, the inability to think fast ,creatively as well as to remember new reliable and truthful information.


A reduction in the human brain’s mass and volume begins at age 20 with more rapid change and  becomes more frequent after age 60.In essence normal brain functions change but not all are affected at the same time but usually in the following order:  1. Short-term memory-learning  2. Speech and vocabulary  3. Intellectual activity.


Factors that affect  brain shrinkage, cell loss for memory dysfunction and cognitive deficits include: 1.  Level of education or more than likely limited to high school without  knowledge of European history and its Authoritarian dynasties etc. 2. Non-challenging mental lifestyle. Gathering  information from hate media , easily manipulated by lies and hate, association with like-minded peer groups and consensus, and disregard for science and truth .Also apparent  and extremely significant is with damage to the frontal lobe. Frontal lobe damage,exhibits impulsive behavior impared abstract thinking, difficulty with problem-solving, poor social skill, family problems, self-centered behavior ,impaired ethical and moral judgments and poor expressive language abilities.


Other factors that affect brain fitness include but are not limited to: 1.  Not enough moderate and regular exercise  of at least 90 minutes most days of the week 2. Smoking, drugs and alcohol  3. Eating a non healthy diet without  fruits, vegetables, whole grains ,and fish 4. Not able to control weight to prevent obesity 5.  Not able to prevent or control high blood glucose and diabetes 6.  Not able to control blood pressure and reduce sodium intake 7 Not able to lower LDL and raise HDL cholesterol - the good cholesterol . Get help by:1. Consider taking low-dose aspirin or a statin drug 2. Consider dietary supplements including vitamin D3 and possibly vitamin B12 3. Get regular and restful sleep because of the importance of keeping the  prefrontal cortex functioning at the highest levels.


The prefrontal cortex of the brain regulates complex cognitive functions critical to human intellectual ability such as decision-making, problem-solving and the manifestation of appropriate social behavior. In fact, notice the number of items that are diet related to brain health. In other words, There is a positive correlation between the brain and lifestyle decisions .



A few Illustrations follow from impaired brain limitations. Behavioral choices  affect memory.It’s obvious that memories are important for day-to-day functioning. Some memories are designed to be short while more important memories can be stored and retrieved. The process involved in forming, storing and retrieving memory is essentially a step-by-step process that occurs in utilizing a number of different parts of the brain.With memory impairment, learning becomes problematic.


Short-term memories are supposed to be brief  as new ones are continuously replacing the old ones. These short-term memories are fragile and can be easily disrupted or interfered with by something else. They are forgotten and they decay quickly.


Long-term memories are stored as they are important emotionally .Some previously learned long-term memories remain unaffected even in early stages of dementia. Normally dementia patients have difficulty learning new information .Furthermore, long-term memories are more durable than short-term memories and specific memories can change as a result of experience and information acquired over the passage of time.


Let’s consider declarative memory. Declarative memory is an explicit memory that’s formed and demands a conscious effort to recall it. There are two types of declarative memories .The first is called declarative  memory which refers to factual knowledge. Examples of declarative  memory include: 1. Trump lost the popular vote and the electoral college vote In 2020 2.Trumps fraudulent claim that the election was stolen is a projection of his fraud 3.Trumps Republicans are attempting to suppress voting rights 4. Trump's Republicans submitted false electoral college documents in 7 states.5. Pence could not falsify electoral votes. These were states that Joe Biden won clearly and fairly .Per  Supreme Court Justice  Antonin Scalia “The power of Congress  over the Times, Places and Manner of congressional elections is paramount and may be exercised at any time, and to any extent which it deems expedient” he argued  in 2013 in his opinion for the court in Arizona  versus Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona. 5. Trump and his Republican cronies  attacked the state Capitol on January 6  and attempted to overthrow the election. 7.Trump  mishandled the virus; pushed false treatments; and infected many with his gatherings 8.Trump and his cronies attacked Dr. Anthony Fauci for political purposes.


With declarative memory gaps, individuals create false fictional narratives. Doctors don’t know anything and I do not need a vaccine because I had the virus- I almost died are some comments. Words like socialism, alienation and freedom are misused. A lack of knowledge becomes apparent when talking about the electoral college, the Republic , pedaphiles  and benefits acquired because of unions.Declarative memory impediments, lack of knowledge and being susceptible to lies are connected to fragile,decayed and inability to learn. Propaganda is used by the GOP power to bamboozle and manipulate the faithful as in legislation and policies to ban certain books and not teach about race . Freedom mean?


 A second type of declarative memory is called Episodic. With episodic memory ,this comprises the images and details of past experiences which are personal. They are associated with certain times and places. These declarative memories  are more fragile than semantic memory.They occur in the frontal lobes and these connections are vulnerable to change , are associated with aging and aging diseases like hypertension, diabetes, elevated cholesterol, small vessel disease  and obesity.


A Procedural memory refers to  skills and routines like riding a bike. These  procedural memories are less affected by aging and illness and  also utilize different parts of the brain compared to declarative memory .In memory , the process is the ability for consolidation and learning along with the formation of long-term memory that may actually strengthen  the pathways that encode memories.


With prefrontal cortex damage to the hippocampus, the executive functions of ego  severely weaken intelligence. Some might ask how and why? The following are brief illustrations of the damages:  1. A weakened remote memory ability to comprehend; a limited capacity for associative thinking of general Information  abstracted from the environment. Also, an orientation toward non- educational achievement and a tendency toward action rather than reflection 2.  A weakened use of practical judgment  in social situations without an appropriate moral sense  and the inability to utilize past experience in socially accepted ways. Difficulty with coping, overly concrete thinking which limits the capacity to accept hypothetical premises and work out hypothetical conclusions 3.Difficulty in the ability to comprehend and  for associative thinking.An overly concrete mode of thinking  and distortion of thought processes 4.Limited general intelligence  with the scarcity of general verbal definitions. Difficulty in learning and inability for  abstract thinking. A limitation of ideas and diminished level of curiosity toward learning education, with  a lack of good schooling within an unhealthy environment. This is associated with severe emotional disturbance 5. Anxiety,difficulty with attention, concentration along with pronounced negativity and impaired reality testing 6. Difficulty in  perception, visual comprehension, planning involvement,  and social alertness with common sense. This results in impulsivity, and an  orientation to action without delay mechanisms and failure to check minimal clues.in essence a low level of intelligence.


Yes, with aging there is a cognitive decline that’s inevitable for everyone during the aging process. However, it appears that many of the obedient followers of the autocratic leader have an accelerated  loss of neuron cell death in their brain. It’s a dumbing down intellectually  of impaired brain fitness. In the latent and tertiary disease stage, symptoms become apparent when having a conversation. Their limited education and lack of knowledge and history of our world is frightening and tragic . This coupled with a primitive  belief system presents a threat to us all.The GOP  knows that  it’s base is limited intellectually and cognitively. Therefore, it realizes that deceit ,fraud and lying works with their base splendidly.  Expect that to continue in spades. Psychologically, hatred, suspiciousness ,egocentrism,  disrespect for the rule of law and the  non-humanistic attitude for all the citizens regardless of melanin pigmentation threatens our limited Republic. Further , the disinformation regarding the pandemic resulted in damaging health and death consequences. The death rate from cardiovascular disease increased by 9%;Alzheimers by 8.7% and diabetes 15%- The New York Times 1:30 :22.


  PS


For you  truck boycotters In Ontario.  Teamsters do not live more than three years after retirement. Hey smart guys, spend your time wisely.


Reference 


:Institute for Natural Resources, Brain Health: Mood, Metabolism and Cognition.


Friday, February 11, 2022

The American Nightmare

  

It’s very common to hear terms like right, left, liberal, conservative ,Democrat, Republican etc. However, what do these terms really mean today? I would wager that depending upon whom you talk with , the definitions would vary . For example, let’s examine Ross Douthat’s December 12, 2021 article in the New York Times titled “ What the New Right Understands.”This disquisition  critiques that article.


In his article  Ross stated that the newer young right in contemporary America was psychologically defined more by alienation than patriotic comfort. However, neither alienation  nor the younger right was defined. Certainly,  research did not support his beliefs.  We are only left with his opinion.


Couple centuries ago ,Karl Marx wrote about alienation. Marx believed that when power controls production, the working majority becomes exploited. Exploitation results in alienation. Alienation  interferes with man’s sense of power, control and impedes his ability for truth,intellectual and loving development.  This also results  in man’s inability for meaningful interpersonal relationships. The existentialists added to the concept of alienation.They stated that the afterlife belief  disappeared; man is irrational; man’s technological achievements have not solved the problem of man’s existence;  man becomes lost, and inauthentic .In other words  paraphrasing Albert Maslow . man fails to become self-actualized.


More recently the concept of alienation has been researched employing Julian B. Rotter’s locus of control theory.Alienated individuals have been found to be  more suggestible, easily  manipulated, dependent  and not having a sense of power and control. Que Sera Sera “Whatever will be will be “ comes to mind. Research regarding emotional health  reported that alienated individuals were fearful ,anxious, depressed , acted out their conflicts and were impaired morally and  cognitively. Also, they were unable to modify or control inappropriate behaviors.


Ross stated that these alienated individuals' biggest concern was about China. Of course if alienated, they are also limited intellectually with the loss of too many  neurons. Their thinking is flawed  and limited. Today’s  major issues relate to not only dysfunctional Congress;authoritarianism and the belief that a limited supply of melanin  pigment  entitles them to  control,rule and exploit the majority because of their illusion of superiority. 


Be damned  of providing economic assistance to the majority;  be damned of improving infrastructure; be damned of dealing with greenhouse emissions and climate; be damned as it’s a sin to promote voting rights for the majority because they’re a threat to your wealth; and be damned  for income inequality. The motto is keep the power.


Matthew Stewart’s  “The 9.9  Percent  The New Aristocracy  That is Entrenching  Inequality  and Warping  Our Culture addresses unfairness .Matthew  pointed out that the problem is not the richest 1% of Americans   that’s the problem, but the 0.1% that includes a  band of billionaires whose net worth rose by a staggering 1.8 trillion since the start of the pandemic. in essence, it’s concentrated at the top.  He stated that while some neighborhoods gathered in food lines others fled to second homes and ordered gourmet meals online to be delivered to their  doors by “essential workers.”


Stewart stated that  the wealthiest 1% of Americans aggregate wealth is four times greater than that of everyone else.  Also, they believed in the “merit myth.” This is a belief that  the affluent own all of their successes, not to the color of their skin or the advantages they’ve inherited but to their talent and intelligence. Forget about segregated and upscale neighborhoods and using money and influence to get children into the elite colleges. Also, they are convinced that these individuals are deserving compared to the lazy undeserving poor. Further, the lives of the wealthy few have increasingly little resemblance to those of the working class people . Stewart stated that it's important to go beyond the reductive stereotypes to explain how  professionals think about and justify their wealth and privilege. It's important to eliminate deep economic disparities in America and how inequality is validated and sustained.


Back to Ross. He identified the right’s younger generation's failure to marry, raise families and their difficulty with religion. The limited  right has  educational difficulties as the cost of college has become out of reach. Not only are they unable to marry, many cannot live independently because of lack of affordability. One doesn’t want to get married and live in the family basement or with his buddies in a rented apartment. Who wants to marry that alienated  guy?


As far as religion, just think of the supernatural, primitive, superstitious and irrational beliefs. Why would Christ die for mankind’s sins? First of all, killing another goes against God’s( the imaginary in the sky} commandments. How many use the rationalization that Christ died for irrational behavior and that one can buy as many  guns as possible to kill? Being born again is what? The first time around was a failure  and there are no do overs. Going to church to sing and hear contemporary music is about  social entertainment. What about the values of man’s failures of man treating man and suggestions for change? Going to church, with consensus, for not being vaccinated, teaches what?


 Ross  stated that the United States problems were the result of a Scandinavian style welfare state and the destruction of white male Christian heteronormativity for woke progressivism. Ross didn’t  go into the last five years or so and the problems created by authoritarian Trump. Trump's authoritarianism , immorality. disrespect for the rule of law, racism and discrimination, and pacifying the super rich with tax cuts contributed to alienation for his  loyal base-young and old.The hell with the Republic.


Ross also did not address the Covid-19 health issue. This is the third year  of this terrible disease. Trump and his base has made things worse for the health of our country even though recently he stated people should be vaccinated. Healthwise, what a mess. Yes, physically sick  individuals  are more likely to become ill especially when unvaccinated. Our hospitals and healthcare system has become more vulnerable with burn out, diseased providers and limited facilities within the hospital.This current health crisis points to stupidity among the unvaccinated. Forrest Gump quoted his mother  “Stupid is as stupid does.”


In summary, if these individuals were alienated, they would have  porous and limited executive functioning. This means that their ability to think, reason, objectify, ability for abstract thinking,proficiency to research and learn the truth would be severely impaired. Yes, they would be able to hear information that China was bad and be able to scapegoat. Were these individuals angry, frustrated  and limited? This  is their nightmare: limited educational  attainment; if employed, poor working conditions , paucity of skills, low income and a doom and gloom future. Their nightmare also includes dark melanin pigment  skinned individuals that are professors,  physicians, lawyers, scientists, sport star legends, TV ,radio, movie stars, celebrities, judges etc.’s. Even a black president and currently a black vice president and don’t forget that a female black woman is going to be nominated for the Supreme Court is part of that nightmare. Yes, they are frustrated and only have the means to act out  physically and passive aggressively . This is called the” American Nightmare.”They are the American Nightmare.


Friday, February 4, 2022

DUMB

 


Last week Linda and I went out to dinner.We sat outside waiting to be served.I noticed  that there was a sign on the door that said for one individual of the party to come into the restaurant for service. Sitting outside, I noticed that most of the people that came to the restaurant  for dinner wore masks. After a few minutes, a young man approached to take our order. I asked him if he had been boosted? He said no. I said please send someone else to the table.In thinking about the unvaccinated, I hypothesized and have established a syndrome for  cognitive disease. I’m calling this  syndrome DUMB  by using an acronym . This disquisition  details  the syndrome of  DUMB.


A disease is a series of symptoms that indicate an abnormal state suggesting a harmful deviation. In other words,If the Individual is in a  dysfunctional Yin and Yang state, disease is present.Employing the syndrome, the D  refers to disturbance, decay and disease, the U  refers to an  underlying condition,the M refers to memory Impairment and the B refers to the blockage, non-retrieval of subject matter and  vascular impediments In the Brain.  DUMB is a diseased  pathological cognitive state


 Psychodynamically Sigmund Freud hypothesized the id, ego and superego as components of the mind. For Freud, the ego was about reality while navigating all the difficulties that take place for an individual.The task of the ego was to be able to control and modify  impulses, desires, irrationality, primitive thinking and not be at their mercy. A reality-functioning ego was called ego strength.  Newton, Mozart , Einstein, Salk etc.  had ego strength. A weak ego has difficulty with reality, impulsiveness, primitive thinking, suspiciousness, extreme narcissism, disease and extensive reliance on defense mechanisms.


The superego for Freud was established and explained the formation of conscience and ability to incorporate rules, regulations and mores of society. The superego distinguishes right from wrong; ethical from unethical; morality from amorality. A well-functioning  superego was established and associated with individuals that have a humanistic morality being. They are concerned with love, empathy, respect, giving and contributing to others. They are not about limited egoism and selfishness  but about  benefiting society as a whole. Individuals like  Jesus, Buddha, Marx, Schweitzer, Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt  come to mind. A malignant superego is associated with authoritarian individuals that are against others, prejudiced, racist exploitive, discriminatory, amorality or sinful. Individuals like  Nero, Stalin,  Himmler and  Hitler fit the bill.  A malignant superego is a diseased psychological state.


More recently,  ego refers to the executive functioning of the mind. Executive functioning refers to  thinking ,perceiving, planning , working memory ,self-monitoring, self-control  and organization. The superego refers to development of conscience which includes ethics and moral reasoning and behavior.As a consequence,When the ego and superego are not in sync with reality and morality , they display an interference of  Yin  and Yang . This is the D which is disturbance and decay .


Neurologically, we are referring to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus,inside the New Brain. With health, there is a building of  cells, dendrites and axons. With disease, there is a loss  and death of cells interfering with the dendrites, axons and decreased blood flow or vascular  blockage .Additionally , there’s levels of acetylcholine  interference , a  particular neurotransmitter that  affects cerebral function.This particular neurotransmitter becomes depleted , further affecting neuron communication and functioning. As a result,  we have  D U. The D represents brain disease and the U refers to the underlying brain functioning  hidden from  the individual.


For M, we refer to memory. We receive incoming information or sensory input. Some of which we attend to and some of which we do not attend to. Then, we have a working  memory. Some of that information we either remember or forget . Then finally, we have long-term memory where we have the ability to retrieve information or forget. Briefly, memory is the process of acquisition  ,storage and retrieval . Memory is central and extremely important  to most if not all of our cognitive and emotional functions. We rely on memory for our past, present and especially the future. Memories are supposed to help us learn by managing and storing Information in our brain and teach  us so we don’t repeat our mistakes again and again. For good , bad, right  or wrong we become our memories.


For example,  we have what’s called a declarative memory. A declarative memory is for facts and events  such as remembering dates, historical facts, telephone numbers and names of people that you know. The hippocampus  plays a critical role in converting and storing these memories in the areas of our cortex. Moreover, Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of our Constitution’’s; he allowed people with dark melanin skin  to be referred to as 3/5 of a white person with an fugitive slave clause; bedded and had children with Sally Hemmings  one of his  slaves; he took out a mortgage on his slaves to raise money to build Monticello  . Donald Trump  failed to receive the popular vote majority against Both Hillary and Joe. Trump lied  about both of the election returns. Trump attempted to fraudulently overturn the election as evidenced by the January 6, 2020  attack on the capital that was certifying the vote for Joe. Trump ran a fraudulent college and a fraudulent foundation. Trump was impeached twice and currently is being investigated civilly and criminally as the result of  his amoral and illegal practices.


Other examples of cell death related to memory impairment include aphasia which is receptive language impairment ; visual and auditory comprehension deficits; decreased word finding;  vague statements and impaired abstract conceptual thinking or concrete reasoning .Impaired abstract and conceptual thinking refers to the Inability cognitively  to understand, compare and contrast authoritarianism,democracy , rule of law, scientific health principles  etc. These memory impairments  result in cell death affecting the hippocampus and limbic areas that have been selectively destroyed by vascular blockage disease. In essence  we have the syndrome of B, a blockage  within the Brain affecting cognitive health- or DUMB.


With DUMB  disease in cognitive functioning ,we have an absence of truth, wisdom, objectivity,thinking and reasoning.Additionally we have malignant narcissism, disregard for the other with an amoral superego. Let’s apply  adequate  executive functioning to Covid-19 .A majority of people have been  vaccinated with either the  Pfizer,  Maderna or Janssen  Covid-19 vaccine. 


The  statistics for the unvaccinated demonstrate that they are more vulnerable, contagious for  catching, spreading and dying from this disease. Despite that fact, some responses for not getting vaccinated are as follows: 1. I’m healthy 2. The vaccine is not safe 3. I know people who have been vaccinated and still got the disease 4. It’s no worse than the flu 5. TV, radio and political individuals dispute the seriousness of this disease 6. I can take  ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, Inhale bleach, gargle with salt water etc. 7. Herd immunity is going to protect me as I’ve already been infected. 8. CDC has given conflicting information 10. Doctors don’t know anything. There are many unproven methods against contracting this virus  as indicated on social media, radio or TV. Sigmund Freud  referred to these foolish  and irrational responses as rationalizations and denial . Rationalization and denial suggests blockage, Interference and ineffective executive ego functioning or DUMB.


The CDC  has provided guidelines based on research from patients who have a Covid-19 diagnosis. With additional research findings, information  tends to change.Gathering more information about this deadly disease makes sense. These statistics and guidelines are based on  scientific principles. Scientific principle begins with a hypothesis; definition of terms; identification of variables;  collection of subject data; appropriate statistics measuring the analysis of variance; reporting findings; peer review of the findings and then recommendations based on findings.


This likely means that the population studied consisted of hospitalized patients with a diagnosis of Covid –19. The researchers  could look at the number of individuals in the hospital; those that have received the vaccine; those that have not received the vaccine; and the number that have died from the disease or virus. Statistically, they might’ve compared the difference between those dead vaccinated and those who stand unvaccinated. They could’ve used a 95% confidence level that means they would be 95% sure of differences in the results. It’s like  going over a bridge that’s 95% sure to hold your weight. There is a probability  that the bridge might collapse because it’s only 95% safe. Like in science, nothing is 100% except death.


Employing the  scientific method suggests that thinking, reasoning, abstract evaluation, modes of research design, appropriate statistical analysis, not overgeneralizing about the results; observation, perception; clear definition  of terms, building on previous research , expertise about the subject matter and pursuing truth or reality. Therefore  executive ego thinking is predominant. On the other hand, relying on misinformation and calling that research is pure nonsense. Personalities and their agendas are not expert in this particular field. Credible Individuals are those that are able to provide research, diagnosis and treat infectious diseases, immune related illnesses and allergies. Listening and following their expert opinion makes sense . Of course with the DUMB brain disease, these individuals are like talking to the wall. They claim to be open-minded but have their minds made up prior to discussion as Linda’s  primary doctor recently reported to us.They do not have the capacity for executive thinking.Unfortunately, they are able to follow and believe in irrationality, nonsense and stupidity.This is called  DUMB which is  Decay, Disease  resulting and Underlying the Blockage.of Memory In the Brain. In other words, Dumb is a syndrome and a cognitive state in which the retrieval  of Memory  is Blocked from consciousness as a result of Disturbance and Decay of the ego, superego, neurons, hippocampus, acetylcholine, within the prefrontal cortex of the brain resulting in a cognitive Disease.