When to Worry About Your Memory

Patients complaining of memory problems are generally most concerned about whether these are signs of early dementia. In fact, many individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), which is characterized by impairments in episodic memory, go on to develop Alzheimer disease (AD). These researchers attempted to predict the time to conversion to aMCI in 241 cognitively healthy elders who were enrolled as controls in a longitudinal memory disorder study and who had at least two study visits (baseline mean age, 72).

The researchers performed both subjective and objective cognitive assessments, including examinations of orientation, comprehension, expression, recent memory, remote memory, learning, abstract thinking, perception, praxis,…