TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
A Being Patient report recounts how Scott Cunningham and Sean Terwilliger sought medical evaluation after noticing changes that were later associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Their accounts illustrate delays in diagnosis, while leaving broader questions about how often similar experiences occur unanswered.
Being Patient has published accounts of two men who sought medical evaluation after noticing changes in vision, language and thinking that were later associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Scott Cunningham was diagnosed with posterior cortical atrophy in December 2020, while Sean Terwilliger received an Alzheimer’s diagnosis at 60 after years of seeking cognitive testing, according to the report.
Cunningham, a psychiatrist who had worked for 40 years, began having trouble with tasks involving visual and spatial processing. The report says he stopped on a 55-mile-per-hour freeway because he could not make out the lanes and later found he could not read an analog clock. He initially suspected an eye problem and underwent cataract surgery in both eyes. His eye doctor repeatedly found his eyes were healthy.
During a later visit, Cunningham’s eye doctor contacted his primary care physician and recommended an MRI and a neurologist. A scan in December 2020 confirmed posterior cortical atrophy, or PCA, a form of Alzheimer’s disease that primarily affects vision and spatial processing, according to the report. His wife, Anne, a social worker, had already suspected a brain condition affecting his vision after observing changes in his everyday tasks.
Terwilliger said he did not feel fully like himself after a mini-stroke in 2018. Words became harder to find and numbers more difficult to manage. He requested a cognitive test as a baseline, but the report says four years passed, during which he saw four primary care doctors in three states, before he received one. He missed the test threshold by one point, which led to a neurologist visit and his diagnosis at age 60.
Why Early Observations Matter
The accounts show how changes noticed at home can become important information in the search for a diagnosis. Cunningham’s difficulty reading a clock and navigating visual tasks, and Terwilliger’s slower word retrieval and problems with numbers, were not presented as diagnoses on their own. In their cases, however, those changes prompted further medical evaluation.
The report’s broader point is that patients and family members can provide observations that may not be captured in a brief appointment. Recording when a change began, what tasks are affected and whether it is worsening can help communicate concerns to a clinician. The stories do not establish how common diagnostic delays are or prove that every similar symptom indicates Alzheimer’s. They do underline the practical value of taking persistent concerns seriously and seeking professional assessment.
cognitive assessment test for early Alzheimer's
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Two Routes to a Diagnosis
The report comes from Being Patient, a journalism platform focused on Alzheimer’s, dementia and brain health. Its founder, Deborah Kan, frames the accounts as part of the publication’s Journey to Diagnosis series, which shares experiences from patients and caregivers.
The two cases involved different symptoms and routes through care. Cunningham first sought help from an eye doctor because he believed vision was the problem; a recommendation for an MRI and neurology evaluation followed. Terwilliger asked for cognitive testing after changes that began following a mini-stroke, but, according to the report, waited four years for a test. Neither account alone provides a measure of diagnostic delays across the health system.
Kan also describes finding a record that her mother had raised memory concerns with a doctor five years before her official diagnosis. That personal account supports the article’s focus on early observations, but the report does not provide details about the appointment or what action followed.
“I wasn’t diagnosing myself with anything, but I was acknowledging an issue, and I could not get anyone to join me on that quest.”
— Sean Terwilliger, as quoted in Being Patient
What the Accounts Cannot Establish
The report does not give publication dates for the individual diagnoses beyond Cunningham’s scan in December 2020, nor does it include medical records or interviews with the clinicians involved. It also does not explain why Terwilliger’s requested test took four years, or whether delays resulted from access, clinical judgment or other factors.
The two stories are personal accounts, not a study of diagnostic practice. They cannot show how often these delays happen or whether the symptoms described would indicate Alzheimer’s in another person. The source also mentions a survey about behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s but provides no findings or participation figures in the material supplied.
Further Reporting and Clinical Follow-Up
Being Patient says its Journey to Diagnosis series will continue sharing patient and caregiver experiences. The publication is also seeking responses to a survey on behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer’s; the report says those observations may help inform patient care, but it does not report survey results or a date for their release.
For readers concerned about changes in themselves or someone close to them, the report recommends continuing the conversation with a health professional and seeking another medical opinion if concerns are dismissed. A clinician—not a personal account or a symptom list—must assess what may be causing changes in thinking, language or vision.
Key Questions
What is posterior cortical atrophy?
Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is described in the report as a form of Alzheimer’s disease that mainly affects vision and spatial processing. Cunningham’s diagnosis was confirmed by a scan in December 2020, according to Being Patient.
How long did Sean Terwilliger wait for a cognitive test?
Terwilliger said he waited four years after requesting a test, during which he saw four primary care doctors in three states, according to the report. The source does not explain what caused the delay.
Do vision or memory changes mean someone has Alzheimer’s?
No. The report describes two individuals’ experiences; it does not establish that any particular symptom confirms Alzheimer’s. Changes can have different causes and should be discussed with a qualified health professional.
What should someone do if a concern is dismissed?
The report cites neurologist Dr. Marwan Sabbagh advising people to continue raising concerns and seek another doctor if they feel dismissed. This is not a diagnosis or substitute for individual medical guidance.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
