What Are Memory Disorders?

Forgetting things can be upsetting for people of any age. After all, your memories are an important part of who you are. While some changes in memory are natural as you get older, there are many other causes.

The severity of memory disorders varies widely. In some cases, memory loss is reversible. Anxiety and depression, thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies are some conditions that can cause temporary changes in memory. Memory loss can also be a symptom of other neurological conditions, such as a stroke or brain aneurysm.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) causes some changes in memory and thinking, beyond what happens during typical aging. It may remain stable or get worse over time. For some people, MCI is an early sign of dementia.

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term for conditions that cause permanent damage to brain cells (neurodegenerative diseases). People with dementia experience a decline in their ability to think, remember and perform everyday activities.

Factors that may increase your risk of dementia include:

• Black or Hispanic race
• Family history of dementia
• Heart disease
• History of traumatic brain injury
• Older age

Symptoms of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Symptoms vary among different people and types of dementia but typically include problems with:

• Memory
• Communication, including speaking, understanding, reading and writing
• Judgment and problem-solving
• Mood and behavior
• Movement, balance and coordination

People with dementia may:

• Act impulsively
• Call familiar objects by unfamiliar names
• Complete tasks more slowly or not be able to complete them
• Get lost in a familiar environment
• Lose interest in daily activities or events
• Repeat questions

Diagnosing Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders

Diagnosing dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders can be challenging since there’s no specific test. Typically, diagnosis involves different strategies to document your symptoms, identify underlying conditions and rule out other disorders.

Our neurologists perform screening tests in the office to evaluate your memory, thinking and other brain processes. We may also recommend more detailed testing, such as:

• Brain imaging tests: MRI, CT and PET scans may show areas of deterioration in the brain but aren’t usually enough to diagnose dementia on their own. Imaging tests can also help rule out other causes of symptoms and set a baseline for tracking the course of the disease. 
• Laboratory tests: Blood tests can help identify reversible causes of dementia-like symptoms, such as thyroid conditions or vitamin deficiencies. 
• Neuropsychology testing: Specialists called neuropsychologists provide in-depth testing to assess brain function. They can also look for underlying psychological conditions that could be causing memory loss. 

Treating Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders

Dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and memory disorders affect each person differently. Our team spends time getting to know you and your family and developing a plan to meet your goals for care.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are active areas of research. Despite these efforts, there are no treatments that can reverse or cure dementia, although some medications may slightly slow disease progression.

Medications are also available to help manage dementia symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, hallucinations and sleep problems. As new treatments become available, we evaluate them carefully and work with patients and families to understand the benefits and risks.

Your care plan may also include:

• Education to help you prepare for challenges before they happen
• Connection to resources in the community
• Coordination with other doctors or specialists, as needed 
• Rehabilitation therapies geared towards preventing, reversing or slowing memory loss

Leaders in Dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorder Care

At Memorial Neuroscience Institute, you receive care from fellowship-trained neurologists who have years of training in complex neurological conditions. Our goal is to get to the root cause of your symptoms and work with you and your family to enhance your quality of life.