Memory Loss

Five years ago, at age 49, Greg Walter felt uncharacteristically forgetful and confused. "I've been able to multitask for years, and all of a sudden, I was not remembering things," recalled the hospital administrator. "I was working off Post-it notes. Until I crossed something off the Post-it, I couldn't be sure what I had done. " He was not, as he initially feared, in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The culprit turned out to be Lipitor, the cholesterol-lowering statin he was taking to prevent heart disease.

Where did I put the keys? What was her name again? How could I have forgotten that appointment! These, researchers tell us, are some important questions for the '90s and beyond. Because as our population ages and the percentage of people over age 50 grows, the national memory can be expected to slip. In recognition of this, the National Institute of Mental Health officially defined Age-Associated Memory Impairment as a medical condition - and a medical diagnosis - five years ago. There is no doubt that most older people have worse memories than most young people.

A University of Pennsylvania psychologist has found that men's brains shrink and women's do not. Men lose as much as 15 percent of the volume of their frontal lobes over the course of their lives; women, hardly any. This, he says, leads to a steady decline in the ability to concentrate, a loss of reasoning power, a lack of "mental flexibility" and advancing depression. What a load of baloney. I happen to be in my seventh decade and I'm here to say that I'm as sharp as I ever was. My reasoning powers are undiminished, my concentration laser-like and my memory . . . my memory is fine.

Floyd Patterson resigned yesterday as New York's athletic commissioner amid reports he was suffering from memory loss so severe he couldn't remember his secretary's name or even the fighter he beat for his first heavyweight title. "After long and careful consideration, my family and I have decided that for personal reasons, I will resign," Patterson wrote in a brief letter to Gov. George Pataki, who appointed him to the post in 1995. The New York Post reported yesterday that a 3 1/2-hour videotape of a deposition Patterson gave two weeks ago shows he could not recall important events in his 64-fight professional career or the names of his closest aides.

As she stood to speak in the Great Hall of Bryn Mawr College's M. Carey Thomas Library yesterday afternoon, graduate student Amanda Adams complained of burning in her sinuses and a headache. They are symptoms she is familiar with, she said. And she also thinks she knows the cause: studying and working in the building. She is not the only one. Shortly after renovation work was begun on cavernous Great Hall in December, students and faculty and staff members say they have been bothered by various ills, from memory loss to respiratory problems.

NFL OFFICIALS conspired to hide evidence linking concussions to dementia and brain disease, seven retired players charge in the latest lawsuit filed on the subject. The fraud and negligence lawsuit filed here Wednesday accuses the National Football League of publishing nonscientific papers written by biased members of its medical committee, while denouncing valid research that suggested a link. The plaintiffs include former Eagles guards Ron Solt and Joe Panos and defensive back Rich Miano.

At 83, Mr. Hockey is still in demand and on the move. Gordie Howe is about to embark on another series of fund-raisers to support dementia research. It's a personal cause. The disease killed his wife, Colleen, in 2009 and is beginning to affect him. "He's a little bit worse than last year, but pretty close to about the same," son Marty said. "He just loses a little bit more, grasping for words. "The worst part of this disease is there's nothing you can do about it. " While the long-term effects of concussions have been very much in the news lately, the family is hesitant to link the Hall of Famer's condition to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

A Chester County police officer's teenage son admitted Wednesday that he was speeding after another vehicle in Downingtown when he caused an accident in February that killed the niece of County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. Kyle Wilson, the son of East Whiteland Township Police Officer Daniel Wilson, listened somberly as Chester County Assistant District Attorney Renee Merion outlined the facts for Judge John Hall in a packed courtroom. Many spectators in the room held onto one another in an effort to hold back tears.

Eric Lindros' visit to a concussion specialist was delayed yesterday because his flight was late in arriving in Chicago. The Flyers' captain was scheduled to meet for a few hours with James Kelly of Northwestern University Medical Center yesterday afternoon. "He never really got to meet with him for any period of time," Carl Lindros, Eric's father and agent, said last night. "They just met briefly. They're going to meet at length tomorrow. " Lindros' treatment records from his stay last week at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia have been forwarded to Kelly.

"My brain was dark. There was nothing there when I tried to think," said the 48-year-old Norristown woman who has had electric-shock therapy. "I wasn't sure I recognized my family, although looking at them, I knew that's who they must be," she said. The woman, who said, "Brain damage is not therapy," was among those who protested yesterday against the revived use of electric-shock therapy. They marched outside as doctors met at a symposium at Friends Hospital in the Northeast to share their views on electric-shock therapy for certain mental illness.

At 83, Mr. Hockey is still in demand and on the move. Gordie Howe is about to embark on another series of fund-raisers to support dementia research. It's a personal cause. The disease killed his wife, Colleen, in 2009 and is beginning to affect him. "He's a little bit worse than last year, but pretty close to about the same," son Marty said. "He just loses a little bit more, grasping for words. "The worst part of this disease is there's nothing you can do about it. " While the long-term effects of concussions have been very much in the news lately, the family is hesitant to link the Hall of Famer's condition to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

NFL OFFICIALS conspired to hide evidence linking concussions to dementia and brain disease, seven retired players charge in the latest lawsuit filed on the subject. The fraud and negligence lawsuit filed here Wednesday accuses the National Football League of publishing nonscientific papers written by biased members of its medical committee, while denouncing valid research that suggested a link. The plaintiffs include former Eagles guards Ron Solt and Joe Panos and defensive back Rich Miano.

CARDINAL Anthony Bevilacqua, the retired leader of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, is not a competent witness because of memory loss, and therefore his testimony should be barred, according to attorneys representing one of the priests in the upcoming clergy child-abuse trial. Attorneys for defendant Monsignor William Lynn made their assertions in a motion filed yesterday. It is based on observations made of Bevilacqua during a closed-door deposition on Nov. 28 and 29. Bevilacqua, 88, who suffers from dementia, was unable to identify Lynn, his secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, and he struggled "to the point of tears" at his inability to answer questions, the filing said.

I WAS LAID OFF in February when my job - and those of 650 of my co-workers - was shipped overseas by a pharmaceutical company making record profits (the economic downturn never had a negative financial effect on them). I have spent months looking for a new job, but with so many people out of work, it is nearly impossible to find anything. When Sen. Pat Toomey finally held three "open forums" to hear from constituents, he held them in Elk, Potter and Carbon counties - three areas that are suffering from unemployment problems, but the three combined do not have the same unemployment rate as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lehigh Valley or Harrisburg alone.

A Chester County police officer's teenage son admitted Wednesday that he had been speeding after another vehicle in Downingtown when he caused an accident in February that killed the niece of County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. Kyle Wilson, son of East Whiteland Township Police Officer Daniel Wilson, listened somberly as Chester County Assistant District Attorney Renee Merion outlined the facts for Judge John Hall in a packed courtroom. Many spectators held on to one another in an effort to hold back tears.

A Chester County police officer's teenage son admitted Wednesday that he was speeding after another vehicle in Downingtown when he caused an accident in February that killed the niece of County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. Kyle Wilson, the son of East Whiteland Township Police Officer Daniel Wilson, listened somberly as Chester County Assistant District Attorney Renee Merion outlined the facts for Judge John Hall in a packed courtroom. Many spectators in the room held onto one another in an effort to hold back tears.

Fond memories of Father Divine Sunday's article on Father Divine ("At Gladwyne mansion, memories of Father Divine live on") took me back to my childhood, when I lived at Sixth and South Streets. I went to McCall Elementary and played at Starr Garden playground. On the way to both, I would pass by the Father Divine Garage. Even as a young child, I was impressed that the men sang as they worked. It seemed a happy place. I would say my good mornings to them, and they would respond with a smile.

Five years ago, at age 49, Greg Walter felt uncharacteristically forgetful and confused. "I've been able to multitask for years, and all of a sudden, I was not remembering things," recalled the hospital administrator. "I was working off Post-it notes. Until I crossed something off the Post-it, I couldn't be sure what I had done. " He was not, as he initially feared, in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The culprit turned out to be Lipitor, the cholesterol-lowering statin he was taking to prevent heart disease.

Limping Blazers The injury bug bit the Portland Trail Blazers again Wednesday night, but they didn't let it stop them. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-99, at home. But the Blazers lost LaMarcus Aldridge when he sprained his left ankle early in the first quarter and missed the rest of the game. Portland is already without guard-forward Rudy Fernandez (back) and forwards Travis Outlaw (left foot) and Nicolas Batum (shoulder). Centers Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden are both out for the season with knee injuries.

The National Football League needs to move beyond its incremental steps to combat player brain injuries. Two concussion-injured Super Bowl quarterbacks had to sit out games last Sunday, and yet another Eagles player suffered a game-ending blow to the head. But the best NFL officials could do was leak to the press another tidbit about their safety moves. That's a bad message about player safety that filters down to every kid in college, high school, or even younger who plays football.