The mystery illness: Alzheimer's and Dementia

You can actually have it happening in your brain years before it will manifest itself in a way that will lead you to testing.- Anna Maria Tremonti

It is a topic that touches the hearts and minds of families across the country.

This week CBC's The Current is presenting some special programming around Dementia and Alzheimer's.

Anna Maria Tremonti hosts the series calledDiagnosis: Dementia.

"One woman in Regina was diagnosed at 51," she explained. "She has an aggressive form of Alzheimer'sand she does not expect to see her 60th birthday. We'll speak with another woman who is 66 and she took a decade to get diagnosed."

According to Tremonti, both of these women are facing a future with dementia and both are quite worried because of what they've seen.

"One's a nurse who spent years caring for other people in long term care, and she wants to stay home," said Tremonti.

Topics covered include research, analysis and care homes that are trying to treat patients with dementia in a different way.

The most surprising thing for Tremonti is that the cause for Dementia and Alzheimer's is unknown.

"There are lots of theories and there are things that people are doing to try to treat it," she explained. "But they don't actually know why it starts. As well, they have discovered that you can actually have it happening in your brain years before it will manifest itself in a way that will lead you to testing. So the mystery around various forms of dementia is still very great."

CBC's The Current presentsDiagnosis: Dementia on Tuesday just after 8:30 a.m.You canhear host Anna Maria Tremonti on Information Radio with Marcy Markusaat 7:40 a.m.