Medpedia

I read this article on BBC News and thought it would be good to share here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8302017.stm

To summarize, a University of Kansas study found that a decline in other "thinking and learning skills may be a warning sign years before diagnosis."  They use examples like difficulty in reading a map or completing puzzles.

My concern is to do with Alzheimer's diagnosis among the senior population (not those with early-onset Alzheimer's Disease).  For many people, I would think it difficult to distinguish between these "symptoms" and other "normal" signs of old age.

How is that fine line dilineated?  At what point is forgetfullness and lack of great vision no longer "normal"?

Here is another interesting article about Novel price winner Charles Kao:

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=13&art_id=88970&sid=25646195&con_type=1

Marc

I noticed a profound change in my wife's disposition nearly five years before AD became apparent. An early MRI diagnosed "some brain shrinkage" but nothing else. Pre AD diagnosis is important because possibly life style changes, curcumin, nutritional or other may head off or substantially delay AD onset.

Paul Murray

I'm with Carol on these two points - my navigation skills are nil, and always have been.  Also, I think she's right -  any big change in memory, judgment or abilities would be cause for concern.

As to Jennifer's original question, some of the screening tests for memory loss are age-adjusted.  Despite this, I don't think there's expert consensus on what's normal aging and what's not.  It seems to me that some of our ideas about what's normal are determined by culture, rather than hard data.