memory loss

U.S. researchers linked poor kidney function to a more rapid rate of decline in cognition in the elderly. Dr. Aron Buchman of the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said the cognitive decline -- not in visuospatial ability or perceptual speed, but in episodic, semantic and working memory -- occurred at a rate of decline equivalent to that of a person seven years older at baseline. Read more...

One challenge doctors have with diagnosing Alzheimer's disease is that memory loss can be caused by many medical conditions. Depression and anxiety can cause us to forget things. So can what's called vascular dementia, caused by blockages in the brain's blood supply, or a metabolic problem, a stroke, even a brain tumor. Yet people who age normally will continue to learn things -- their Read more...

Think memory loss won't affect you? Slowed information processing begins by age 30. Finding ways to keep your memory active and challenging your brain now may well help you out in the long run. Let's try a little game of mental stimulation. See how many words you can find (words should be at least three letters long) in the following scramble: RAESTP. A list of answers can be found at the end Read more...

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- She was 65 years old. "And I was a young 65, believe it or not," says Jeanne Folmer. Retired from real estate and sales, she kept busy playing golf, antiquing and dating. But things were going downhill. Fast. Sometimes she couldn't find the words she wanted to say. And she kept falling down. She didn't sound the alarms to her four grown kids, telling Read more...

U.S. scientists say they've resolved a dispute about one of the mechanisms believed responsible for brain cell death and memory loss in Alzheimer's disease. Assistant Professors Michael Mayer of the University of Michigan and Jerry Yang of the University of California-San Diego said they and their colleagues have clarified how small proteins called amyloid-beta peptides damage brain cell Read more...

Ever forget to drop off dry cleaning on the way to work? This minor error of memory may be evidence of two competing parts of the brain, one that harbors habits, and another involved in learning. Driving to work is a habit; going to the dry cleaner is a comparatively novel task. Dr. Christopher J. Pittenger, assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale, calls this symbolic lapse the Read more...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. Recognizing its early symptoms is crucial and allows doctors to begin treatment before the symptoms become worse. Alzheimer's warning signs 1. Memory Loss Forgetting things sometimes is normal; memory loss is NOT normal when it repeatedly interferes with daily life. What to watch for: Read more...

Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- A team of U.S. scientists report on Monday that people who develop Alzheimer's disease may show signs of the neurodegenerative illness many decades earlier in life, including compromised educational achievement. Scientists from University of South Florida and University of Kentucky published their study results on-line in the journal Alzheimer's Disease and Associated Read more...

Eating certain fish -- except fried -- lowers the risk of silent strokes that can lead to dementia and stroke, Finnish researchers said. Silent brain infarcts -- only detectable by brain scans and found in about 20 percent of otherwise healthy elderly people -- can lead to dementia and stroke. The study, published in the journal Neurology, found those eating tuna, salmon, mackerel, Read more...