'Senior Moments' are not Signs of Dementia

Ah the 'senior moment.' What's typically characterized by forgetfulness, memory lapses and our inability to forget where we parked the dang car. Though many of us blame these times of poor judgment on part of the aging process, a recent study shows that only around one in five people who deal with these problems end up being diagnosed with some kind of serious brain-related disorder, including Alzheimer's disease.

"Patients should not be alarmed unnecessarily by receiving a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment," said lead researcher Dr. Hanna Kaduszkiewicz, of the Institute of Primary Medical Care in Kiel, Germany, via WebMD.

For the study, German researchers followed more than 350 adults with mild cognitive impairment for three years, all of whom were 75 or older. Researchers then tested their cognitive functions by observing whether or not they were capable of learning new material that included such activities as memorizing lists to help test memory and depression levels.

Findings showed that approximately 42 percent of the adults had their cognitive functions return back to normal, while 36 percent of them showed the same mild cognitive impairment symptoms. However, 22 percent ended up developing dementia. The team also added that close to 21 percent of the people who experienced symptoms often fluctuated between normal and mild cognitive impairment. Researchers believe this may be due to an increased depression risk with the development of dementia.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via the article "Prognosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment in General Practice: Results of the German AgeCoeDe Study," published in the journal the Annals of Family Medicine.