Posted under Blog on July 25th, 2013 by Editorial Team / No Comments

Doctors who advise their aging patients not to worry about memory lapses may be doing them a disservice, according to a number of new studies that suggest these lapses may be the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Four preliminary studies presented at the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Boston show that a patient’s concerns about their memory or thinking skills may be early warning signs for dementia and Alzheimer’s.

In one of the studies, research presented by Dr Rebecca Amariglio, a neuropsychologist at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, found that people with more concerns about memory and organizing ability were more likely to have amyloid, a key Alzheimer’s-related protein, in their brains.

Alzheimer’s researchers have identified a new category called ‘subjective cognitive decline’, which describes people’s own sense that their memory and thinking skills are deteriorating, before others have noticed.

Experts have emphasized that many older people with such complaints will not develop dementia. Some memory decline is a normal part of aging and nothing to worry about.  Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations for the Alzheimer’s Association, commented, “We’re not talking about those times you walk out of your house and realize you’ve forgotten your keys. We’re talking about cases where you identify a change over time – you’ve always been able to balance your checkbook with no problem, but now you’re having difficulty.”

Read more about the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Tags: dementia warning signs, Early Alzheimer's, Memory lapses