Early Memory Lapses Could Warn of Alzheimer's
.
Alzheimer's Donation
Donate Online Now
.

Older adults who complained of recurrent memory loss had brain changes that mirrored those of very early Alzheimer's -- even when standard cognitive tests came up normal, a new study reports.
Based on these findings, "cognitive complaints should be taken very seriously -- these are not necessarily just the 'worried-well,'" said researcher Andrew Saykin, a professor of psychiatry and radiology at Dartmouth Medical School, in Lebanon, N.H. "Those with significant cognitive complaints and concerns should talk with their physicians and get a thorough evaluation."
The findings were published in the September issue of Neurology.

The findings echo those of another study of older adults, published in Neurology in June. In that research, a team at Rush University, Chicago, found that episodic memory failure corresponded with signs of early, undiagnosed Alzheimer's in brain tissues examined post-mortem.
Although the findings do point to memory lapses as perhaps indicative of very early Alzheimer's disease, "I wouldn't necessarily look at it as something to be extremely concerned about," Dr. Sam Gandy, chairman of the Alzheimer's Association's Medical and Scientific Council told HealthDay at the time. He said the results of the Rush study suggest potential new avenues for early diagnosis and treatment.
Cole noted that occasional "cognitive complaints" -- forgetting keys, or failing to remember PIN codes at the bank -- do occur, of course, and can be a cause for worry. But age-related forgetfulness can be caused by a variety of conditions, including non-Alzheimer's-related vascular disease, he pointed out.
"This study took a comprehensive look and defined a subset of people who have essentially episodic problems yet do well on tests," Cole said. In other words, their forgetfulness occurred frequently and was noted by loved ones, yet the usual tests showed no obvious problem.
Here, however, "the researchers verified the gray matter changes that indicate disease prior to minimal cognitive impairment," Cole said. "They're clicking back the ability to detect incipient Alzheimer's disease with some better confidence that it's truly Alzheimer's disease."
That could lead to the use of neuro-protective agents five, 10 or 20 years before people meet the diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's, the experts said, to help delay symptoms.