Memory loss may be a sign of dementia. Dementia also affects thinking, language, judgment, and behavior. Common types of dementia associated with memory loss are: Alzheimer disease.
Memory loss that disrupts daily life may be a symptom of Alzheimer's or other dementia. Alzheimer's is a brain disease that causes a slow decline in memory, thinking and reasoning skills. There are 10 warning signs and symptoms.
Memory loss and dementia
Other early signs might include: Asking the same questions repeatedly. Forgetting common words when speaking. Mixing words up — saying "bed" instead of "table," for example.
Alzheimer's disease and other forms of neurodegenerative dementia are characterized by memory loss. Abnormal brain changes cause a decline in cognitive skills that impact behavior, relationships and daily functioning.
The Mini-Cog test.
A third test, known as the Mini-Cog, takes 2 to 4 minutes to administer and involves asking patients to recall three words after drawing a picture of a clock. If a patient shows no difficulties recalling the words, it is inferred that he or she does not have dementia.
Introduction: The five-word test (5WT) is a serial verbal memory test with semantic cuing. It is proposed to rapidly evaluate memory of aging people and has previously shown its sensitivity and its specificity in identifying patients with AD.
The ability to eventually recall information differentiates age-induced forgetfulness from dementia, which renders people unable to remember misplaced information at all. You can be reminded of forgotten information.
The WHO estimates that, after we turn 60 years old, 5 to 8% of us will live with dementia at some point. With dementia, symptoms including memory loss gradually worsen to the point where our abilities seriously deteriorate and we are no longer able to take care of ourselves.
Neurological Evaluation
People may be asked to name objects, follow verbal and written commands, write a sentence, or draw a complex shape. Doctors may ask you to walk a short distance, because problems with gait can signal other conditions involving memory loss, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Some of the most common blood tests ordered as part of a diagnostic evaluation for someone with changes in thinking or memory include: CBC (complete blood count), CMP (comprehensive metabolic panel), TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), vitamin B12, RPR (rapid plasma reagin), HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Donepezil (Aricept®): approved to treat all stages of Alzheimer's disease. Rivastigmine (Exelon®): approved for mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's as well as mild-to-moderate dementia associated with Parkinson's disease. Galantamine (Razadyne®): approved for mild-to-moderate stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Depression can mimic dementia, and appropriate treatment can reverse depression-related memory deficits. “Correcting these issues may help improve memory loss,” Dr. Parulekar says. On the other hand, memory loss resulting from brain disorders like Alzheimer's disease and dementia cannot be reversed.
The five-minute cognitive test (FCT) was designed to capture deficits in five domains of cognitive abilities, including episodic memory, language fluency, time orientation, visuospatial function, and executive function.
Patient assessment tools:
The GPCOG is a screening tool for cognitive impairment designed for use in primary care and is available in multiple languages. Mini-Cog - The Mini-Cog is a 3-minute test consisting of a recall test for memory and a scored clock-drawing test.
Dementia is caused by different diseases, like Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. These diseases damage different areas of the brain and cause different symptoms. Brain imaging allows doctors to see where damage has occurred. Brain scanning and imaging has led to more accurate ways to diagnose dementia.
The SAGE test is a 12-question exam that measures cognitive functioning and may help a physician determine whether Alzheimer's is present.
The Self-Administered Gerocognitive Exam, known as SAGE, is a brief, pen-and-paper cognitive assessment tool designed to detect the early signs of cognitive, memory, or thinking impairments. The test evaluates your thinking abilities. This can help your doctors understand how well your brain is functioning.
For most people with Alzheimer's — those who have the late-onset variety — symptoms first appear in their mid-60s or later. When the disease develops before age 65, it's considered early-onset Alzheimer's, which can begin as early as a person's 30s, although this is rare.
Solomon, PhD developed a brief neurocognitive screening battery to identify AD patients. The 7 Minute Screen™ consists of four individual tests (orientation, memory, clock drawing, verbal fluency). The screen can be rapidly administered and scored and therefore may be appropriate for use in the primary care setting.
The One-Minute Naming Test
It's considered good if you can come up with the names of more than 21 objects. If, on the other hand, you cannot name 15 or more objects, you could be experiencing some cognitive impairment and should seek further evaluation from a healthcare professional.
The MoCA is a 30-item test that allows healthcare providers to find out how well a person's thinking abilities are functioning. The MoCA test checks language, memory, visual and spatial thinking, reasoning, and orientation skills.