New UAB doctor driven to improve Alzheimer's care  on September
22, 2011 at 5:30 AM UAB-David-Geldmacher-0922-11.jpgHuman
thought has fascinated Dr. David Geldmacher since he was an
undergraduate. Now the neurologist cares for patients and
famililes affected by dementia, and does clinical research on
possible treatments. (The Birmingham News/Joe Songer)
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Time is twisted in the five clocks that
hang on Dr. David Geldmacher's wall. They reflect the torn lives
that Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers live -- where
memories dissolve, family roles are reversed and medicine still
struggles to prevent or stop the progression of this
degenerative brain disease.  In one clock, the numbers have
fallen to the bottom, and the face reads, "Whatever."  In
another, time runs backward. A third clock is pulled out of
shape like taffy.  Geldmacher, a neurologist, was recruited to
the University of Alabama at Birmingham in March to head the
division of memory disorders and behavioral neurology. His