Dementia: Unexpected Stories of the Mind

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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.

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.



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

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Dementia: Unexpected Stories of the Mind: Dave

Dave

BBC Radio 4 - Dementia: Unexpected Stories of the Mind, Dave

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

Neurologist Jules Montague and William Miller meet Dave, who has been diagnosed with Dementia With Lewy Bodies, which causes him to see things that aren’t there.

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

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