What Are The Key Things To Know About Screening For Memory Loss?

July 1, 2009— -- Question: What are the key things to know about screening for memory loss?

Answer: Memory loss is fairly a common occurrence as we age; it is part of the aging process. Most of us tend to forget things, but given time we do remember them. Men tend to be as prone to memory loss as women. People tend to think that memory loss is a precursor to dementia.

The truth is that many people who have memory loss go on to develop certain kinds of dementia such as Alzheimer's. However, most memory loss is just merely a cognitive deficit. We still carry out our daily activities, and we're able to function quite well. When we have more memory loss than most people in our age group we have to work hard to try to find a way to improve that. One way to do that is to work on activities that stimulate your mind such as crossword puzzles, reading, traveling, and having routine social activities where you are involved with talking to other people. These things can stimulate your mind and improve your memory. If left unchecked memory losses can lead to other significant problems in our social lives and certainly as a precursor to certain dementias.