Mind Mapping, Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia

Confronted with untreatable, early onset neurodegenerative disease and impending dementia, psychologist Dr. George Huba responded by trying and evaluating many cognitive-behavioral interventions that might help to slow the progression of symptoms or at least improve quality of life. He found that the key for him was a method of visual thinking — mind mapping — that helped organize his daily life and memories and to plan for the future. Huba later found that using mind mapping as a way to communicate with others was effective for him. Dr. Huba is very clear that the mind mapping methods are not yet proven to be effective using standard experimental designs. He also stresses that cognitive-behavioral methods cannot cure neurodegeneration nor do they necessarily slow its progression. He suggests that such inexpensive and easily-learned methods may help provide clarity in planning, memory, and decision making at any point in the early and mid stages of neurodegenerative disease and dementia and consequentially improve the quality of life for the person living with neurodegenerative disease. He believes that the methods work by encouraging structured active thinking, possibly using unaffected parts of the brain. Dr. Huba presents hundred of his mind maps to support this position. Huba concludes that for neurodegenerative diseases with no effective treatment (virtually all of them), the inexpensive methods he used may prove quite helpful to many others as they age “normally,” experience increasing levels of cognitive impairment, or experience dementia. The techniques are used to help some people with neurocognitive symptoms, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals help establish routines for “living well.”