Can someone with Alzheimers/Dementia remember their past if they are constantly and consistently shown home videos and photos saved from their 10+ year old phones?

Question

I’m wondering if someone that has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or Dementia, say an 80 year old person can slowly not forget who they are and their close family members IF they were to constantly view and watch videos that they themselves filmed throughout their lives?

I don’t know the nature of these diseases but I’d imagine they may be able to recall old memories if they were to see videos that they filmed themselves from say their original 2007 iPhone or 2010 iPhone 4.

While we’re at it, what about certain scents such as a perfume or cologne from an old high school flame?

In: Biology

Answer 1

Usually (but not always) with dementia it is short term memory that is affected first. As the brain degenerates further past memories are lost and people you know well are no longer recognised.
My point is, by the time it gets to the old memories usually the disease has progressed significantly. Showing them videos would probably give them a great deal of pleasure, but they may not remember you even showed them the video five minutes later, nor the memory it invoked, if that happened at all.