by Paul Raia, Ph.D.

Not sleeping or eating, trying to escape, aggressive sexual activity, lashing out verbally, making lots of noise, wandering off, extremely repetitive speech -- are these burdensome activities an irrevocable part of the Alzheimer's landscape or is there another way to regard them?

Make a leap of faith with me.  Let’s assume that such problematic behaviors, common during mid-stage Alzheimer’s disease, are not just random acts.  Let’s assume that these activities are triggered by something, and that they are an attempt to convey a significant psychological message.  Let’s assume they are neither mysterious nor unfathomable, and that, like Sherlock Holmes, we can discern the reasons behind them with a little systematic sleuthing.  Just as in any Sherlock Holmes adventure, evidence must be gathered and analyzed, timelines established, witnesses questioned, and hypotheses tested.