For Release: 4 P.M., September 11, 2006
Contact: DMS Communications (603) 650-1492
Forgetful? You May Be Losing More Than Just Your Memory
Hanover, NH—Older adults who complain their "mind is going" may be losing a part of their brain along with their memory, according to a Dartmouth study published in the September 12 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Dr. Andrew Saykin
The study, which looked at 120 people over the age of 60, found people who complained of significant memory problems but still had normal performance on memory tests had reduced gray matter density in their brains even though they weren't diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
When compared to healthy individuals, people who complained of significant memory problems had a three-percent reduction in gray matter density in an area known to be important for memory, the study found. There was a four-percent reduction among individuals diagnosed with MCI, which is a transition stage between normal aging and the more serious problems Alzheimer's disease causes.
"Significant memory loss complaints may indicate a very early 'pre-MCI' stage of dementia for some people. This is important since early detection will be critical as new disease modifying medications are developed in an effort to slow and ultimately prevent Alzheimer's disease," said lead author, Dr. Andrew Saykin, professor of psychiatry and of radiology at Dartmouth Medical School.
While normal aging, MCI and Alzheimer's disease have been associated with the loss of gray matter in the brain, this is believed to be the first study to quantitatively examine the severity of cognitive complaints in older adults and directly assess the relationship to gray matter loss.
Saykin says the findings highlight the importance of cognitive complaints in older adults, and suggest that those who complain of significant memory problems should be evaluated and closely monitored over time. Memory complaints, a cardinal feature of MCI which confers high risk for Alzheimer's disease, are reported in 25 to 50-percent of the older adult population.
Co-authors with Saykin are Dartmouth colleagues Heather Wishart, Laura Rabin, Robert Santulli, Laura Flashman, John West, Tara McHugh and Alexander Mamourian.
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging, the Alzheimer's Association, the Hitchcock Foundation, the Ira DeCamp Foundation, the National Science Foundation, New Hampshire Hospital and the National Alliance for Medical Image Computing.
For further information, contact the American Academy of Neurology, Angela Babb, 651-695-2789, ababb@aan.com or Robin Stinnett, 651-695-2763, rstinnett@aan.com.
-DMS-
