OLDER people who feel that they are 鈥渓osing their mind鈥� may be closer to the truth than anyone had realised.
Tests on a group of people over the age of 60 who complained of significant memory problems have shown that even those who performed well on cognitive tests had a 3 per cent reduction in the density of brain tissue in an area known to be important for memory (Neurology, vol 67, p 834). The findings could lead to earlier detection and treatment of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, says Andrew J. Saykin at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire, who led the study.
He believes that such individuals may be suffering from an early form of mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to the more serious memory loss associated with Alzheimer鈥檚. Previous studies of people known to have the disease have found significantly more severe reductions in the density and volume of brain tissue.
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Saykin says that elderly patients who complain of memory loss but perform well on cognitive tests ought not to be dismissed as the 鈥渨orried well鈥�, but should be evaluated and closely monitored over time.
