Occasional Memory Loss Tied To Lower Brain Volume

The study involved 500 people age 50 to 85 with no dementia who lived in the Netherlands. Participants were asked about occasional memory problems such as having trouble thinking of the right word or forgetting things that happened in the last day or two, or thinking problems such as having trouble concentrating or thinking more slowly than they used to.

Participant's brains were scanned to measure the size of the hippocampus, an area of the brain important for memory and one of the first areas damaged by Alzheimer's disease.

The study found that in people with occasional subjective memory problems, the hippocampus was smaller than in people who had no memory problems. On average, the hippocampus had a volume of 6.7 milliliters in those with occasional subjective memory problems, compared to 7.1 milliliters in people with no memory problems.

"These occasional, subjective memory complaints could be the earliest sign of problems with memory and thinking skills and we were able to discover that these subjective memory complaints were linked to smaller brain volumes. Because occasional memory lapses were so common, though, much more work needs to be done to use such complaints diagnostically," said study author Frank-Erik de Leeuw, MD, neurologist and clinical epidemiologist, of Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Netherlands.

All of the participants also had white matter lesions in their brains, or small areas of brain damage. The researchers measured the amount of white matter lesions, and found that the amount of lesions was not tied to occasional memory problems. The participants had all visited a neurology outpatient clinic not because of memory complaints but for reasons such as falls, vertigo, chronic head pain, or mild traumatic brain injury.

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Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, which causes thinking and memory to become seriously impaired. It is the most common form of dementia. (Dementia is a syndrome consisting of a number of symptoms that include loss of memory, judgment and reasoning, and changes in mood, behaviour and communication abilities. Related diseases include: Vascular Dementia, Frontotemporal Dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and Lewy body Dementia.)

The disease was first identified by Dr. Alois Alzheimer in 1906. He described the two hallmarks of the disease: "plaques" - numerous tiny dense deposits scattered throughout the brain which become toxic to brain cells at excessive levels and "tangles" which interfere with vital processes eventually "choking" off the living cells. As well, when brain cells degenerate and die, the brain markedly shrinks in some regions.

The image below shows, a person with Alzheimer's disease has less brain tissue (right) than a person who does not have the disease (left). This shrinkage will continue over time, affecting how the brain functions.

As Alzheimer’s disease progresses and affects different areas of the brain, various abilities become impaired. The result is changes in abilities and/or behaviour. At present, once an ability is lost, it is not known to return. However, research is now suggesting that some relearning may be possible.

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What is clear is that Alzheimer's develops as a result of a complex cascade of biological processes that take place over many years inside the brain. The answers to this central question are evolving as research provides more information. Right now, age is the primary risk factor for Alzheimer's, along with family history (discussed under genetics). More women than men have Alzheimer's, but this is likely because women generally live longer than men; the incidence by age is similar among men and women. Education level and previous history of head trauma are also generally agreed upon as probable risk factors for Alzheimer's. Estrogen replacement therapy after menopause and the use of certain groups of drugs, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, may also impact

Age
The greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age. Most individuals with the disease are 65 or older. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s doubles about every five years after age 65. After age 85, the risk reaches nearly 50 percent.

Family history
Another risk factor is family history. Research has shown that those who have a parent, brother or sister, or child with Alzheimer’s are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. The risk increases if more than one family member has the illness. When diseases tend to run in families, either heredity (genetics) or environmental factors or both may play a role.

Genetics (heredity)
Scientists know genes are involved in Alzheimer’s. There are two categories of genes that can play a role in determining whether a person develops a disease.

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Alzheimer Treatment

While there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease and no proven treatment to slow its progression, there are a number of medicines available that may help improve the mental function of people with Alzheimer's disease. If these medications are given early enough in the course of the disease, the drugs may enable people to carry out their daily activities and independent living for a longer period of time and may prolong the time that patients can be managed at home. There are also medicines available to help manage some of the most troubling symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, including depression and behavioral problems such as agitation and aggression.

Although there is no cure for Alzheimer's disease, planning and medical/social management can help ease the burden on both patients and family members. Exercise, good nutrition, activities, and social interaction are important. A calm, structured environment also may help the person with Alzheimer's disease to continue functioning as long as possible.

Aricept improves the function of nerve cells in the brain. It works by preventing the breakdown of a chemical called acetylcholine (ah see til KO leen). People with dementia usually have lower levels of this chemical, which is important for the processes of memory, thinking, and reasoning. Aricept is used to treat mild to moderate dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease.

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