Tests Can Predict Dementia Precursor

Main Category: Alzheimer's / Dementia
Also Included In: Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 04 Nov 2009 - 2:00 PST

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Learning and memory tests can help predict whether a healthy person will develop Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) according to a report published in Neurology.

People who have MCI are at an increased risk of going on to develop dementia.

Alzheimer's Society comment

'Dementia develops in the brain many years before people start to notice there is something wrong. The ability to spot the symptoms of mild cognitive impairment early could help doctors diagnose dementia sooner and enable people to access appropriate drugs and support.

'More funding is now needed to support further research in this area so we can develop treatments which target dementia early. One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years yet dementia research is drastically underfunded. We must act now.'

Dr Susanne Sorensen
Head of Research
Alzheimer's Society

Ref: Oulhaj, PhD, Wilcock, DM et al. Predicting the time of conversion to MCI in the elderly. Neurology. Volume 73, Issue 18, Nov 2009. 'Predicting the time of conversion to MCI in the elderly' Oulhaj et al., University of Oxford.

Source
Alzheimer's Society