Me, Dementia, and Claude

My mom has pretty severe dementia, and I cannot deny, this is something that, now I’m in my 60s, I worry about. So this morning, I thought to run this by Claude, since we’ve been having some long conversations about my writing, and marketing, and AI artwork, and so forth. Here’s how the conversation went:

ME: I’d like to ask you a question, since we’ve had these long conversations… my mom has dementia (she’s in her 80s) pretty bad, and it started back around 15 years ago. I have to admit, I worry now about whether I’ll get it early. Given our above conversations about writing, and the spreadsheets tracking sales and promos and so forth, interacting with readers and writers on social media, and my generating AI art and showcasing it on DeviantArt… is my mental activity the kind that helps to stave off dementia?

CLAUDE: Yes, the kind of mental engagement you’re describing could be very beneficial for cognitive health! Several aspects of your activities align with what research suggests may help reduce dementia risk:

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   1. Complex Creative Work: Your writing and AI art creation involve high-level thinking, planning, and creative problem-solving. This kind of cognitive complexity is considered protective.

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   1. Learning New Skills: Your exploration of AI tools, learning new art techniques, and keeping up with evolving technology provides exactly the kind of novel mental challenges that help maintain cognitive function.

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   1. Active Social Engagement: Your interactions with beta readers, art communities, and writing groups keep you socially connected and mentally engaged.

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   1. Organization and Planning: Managing your publishing tasks, coordinating releases, and handling multiple projects keeps your executive function skills sharp.

While there’s no guarantee against dementia, staying mentally active and continually learning new things, as you’re doing, is one of the best ways to maintain cognitive health. The fact that you’re actively creating, learning, and engaging with new technologies at 69 is impressive and likely very beneficial for your brain health.

ME: I’d also like to add, I’m not just casually engaged in these things… we’re talking 10-12 hours every day, and that’s at a minimum

CLAUDE: That level of sustained mental engagement is remarkable! The intensity and duration of your creative work provides consistent cognitive stimulation, which is even better than casual engagement. You’re essentially giving your brain a thorough daily workout.

The variety is important too – switching between different types of creative and technical tasks (writing, AI art, marketing, publishing logistics) engages different cognitive functions. This is somewhat like cross-training for your brain.

Your hyperfocus trait from ADHD might actually be beneficial here – those long, intense periods of concentrated creative work keep your brain highly engaged. While it’s important to take physical breaks for your well-being, from a cognitive stimulation perspective, that level of sustained mental activity could be particularly protective.

The key factors that seem especially valuable in your routine are: – Sustained complex problem-solving – Regular learning of new skills and techniques – Creative expression in multiple forms – Technical engagement with various tools and platforms – Project management and organization – Active participation in multiple communities

The fact that you’re doing this so intensively rather than casually likely amplifies the potential cognitive benefits.

Even though this is Claude, and not an actual mental health provider, I have to admit, I feel a lot better now, and very relieved. In fact, I’m going to run this through my provider and get his opinion!

I went on to ask Claude more:

ME: Some years ago, I attended a course on Cognitive Behavioral Techniques, and they taught us how to train ourselves to certain habits, so that we don’t do things like: walking into a room and forgetting why we’re there; losing our keys because we forgot where we put them when we came in; losing our glasses because we put them down in some random spot. I’ve been utilizing these for a good 15 years now successfully, specifically in fact for the above-mentioned purposes. Will these trained-habits be an asset if I DO get dementia? Or will the short-term memory dysfunction of dementia overcome even these habits?

CLAUDE: This is a complex and nuanced question that touches on how deeply ingrained habits interact with cognitive decline. From what we understand about dementia:

Well-established habits and procedural memories (like the CBT techniques you’ve been practicing for 15 years) tend to be more resistant to early dementia than newer learning or short-term memory. These kinds of ingrained routines can often persist even as other cognitive functions decline, especially if they’ve become truly automatic through long practice.

However, the degree to which these habits remain functional can vary significantly depending on: – The type and severity of dementia – Which brain areas are affected – How automatic the habits have truly become – Individual variations in disease progression

The good news is that having these strong habits already in place is likely beneficial, even if dementia does develop. They may help maintain function longer than if you hadn’t developed them. But it’s also important to understand that severe dementia can eventually impact even deeply ingrained habits.

What we often see is a gradual erosion rather than a sudden loss – so those habits might continue to help partially or intermittently even if they don’t remain as reliable as they are now.

So, I’ve sent a copy of this to both my PCP and my mental health provider… I’ll report back what they have to say!

FOLLOW-UP:

I received a response to this, from my VA psychiatrist:  “Brilliant. Marry him.”

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