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Consider this:

The average American spends 10 minutes a day looking for missing keys, your phone, favorite sunglasses, the tv remote or other misplaced items. Ten minutes x 365 days is approximately 2.5 days per year one spends looking for lost items. If you consider yourself an average American, this information may comfort you, confirming that you’re in good company.

Many older adults worry about their memory and other thinking abilities. For example, they might be concerned about taking longer than before to learn new things (iPhone, anyone?), or they may forget an  appointment or name of someone they know. These changes are generally indicators of mild  forgetfulness, often a normal part of aging, not serious memory problems. However, the reasons for  your cognitive slump might not be the ones you worry about. Dementia-like symptoms that are not  dementia can also be traced to other factors such as lack of sleep, excess use of alcohol, medicine side  effects, lack of exercise, fatigue or stress and may be reversible.

“Slow cognitive decline is expected as we get older,” says Ashley Sarasan, MD, gerontologist at Trinity  Homes. “This is different than dementia, or what we now call cognitive impairment. However, the longer we live, the higher the chances are that we will have cognitive impairment,” she added.

Dementia is an overall term for a particular group of symptoms. The characteristic symptoms of dementia are difficulties with memory, language, problem-solving and other thinking skills. Dementia has several causes which reflect specific changes in the brain. Sarasan is quick to point out that  difficulties with memory in dementia patients look very different than mild neurocognitive disorders.

“A doctor will want to investigate how your memory loss may be affecting activities of daily living, such as driving, cooking, basic hygiene or managing finances. If these activities are compromised, then he or she would screen for dementia,” she said.

Cognitive changes for dementia patients include:
• Disorientation: a person becoming lost in a familiar place, expressing confusion about the date or time of day, or having difficulty with directions.

• Memory loss: failure to recognize people and faces, which in later stages may include family or loved ones. Dementia patients can also experience decreases in short term memory, such as asking the same question repeatedly or forgetting recent events.

• Problems communicating: loss of social skills and lack of interest in socializing or being unable to follow a conversation.

• Difficulty with complex tasks: decreased concentration, difficulty planning or organizing events, following recipes, traveling to new locations.

• Problems with coordination: sometimes manifested as trembling, shaking or difficulty walking.  Psychological changes for dementia patients may include:

• Mood changes: mood swings, increased anxiety and agitation.

• Hallucinations of paranoia: in later stages, sufferers may believe close friends or family are dangerous or “out to get them.”

• Decreased reasoning skills: neglecting safety, personal hygiene, exercise or nutrition. Giving away large sums of money or making careless purchases

• Socially inappropriate behavior: making rude or explicit sexual comments publicly or to strangers.

Alzheimer’s disease is one cause of dementia. The brain changes of Alzheimer’s disease include the  accumulation of abnormal proteins, as well as the degeneration of nerve cells. The brain changes of  Alzheimer’s disease are the most common contributor to dementia.

“Eighty to ninety percent of major neurocognitive disorders are due to Alzheimer’s dementia, where  plaque has been accumulating in the brain over many years,” said Sarasan. “There is not a  definitive diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s dementia – treatments for all types of dementia  are similar, with marginal efficacy. Diagnosing Alzheimer’s requires reviewing a patient’s clinical history, conducting an examination, imaging and blood work to rule out reversible causes.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved six drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Five of these drugs temporarily treat Alzheimer’s symptoms but do  not change the underlying brain changes of Alzheimer’s or alter the course of the disease. The  sixth drug, new to the market, seeks to lower plaque in the brain, and showed marginal improvement in clinical trials.

There are also non-drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, which are often used with the goals of maintaining or improving cognitive function, overall quality of life, and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Non-drug treatments include cognitive stimulation, music-based therapies and psychological treatment (for example, cognitive behavioral therapy). Non-drug interventions are the primary tools used to address agitation or aggression and are typically more effective than pharmacologic interventions and pose minimal risk or harm.

The differences between normal age-related cognitive changes (changes in memory, language  and thinking) and the cognitive changes of Alzheimer’s disease can be subtle. Sarasan says people experiencing cognitive changes should seek medical help to determine if the changes are normal for one’s age, are reversible (for example, caused by a new medication or vitamin  deficiency), or may be a symptom of Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

“If you are experiencing forgetfulness of any sort, bring it up with your provider. Early awareness  allows for better planning and better quality of life,” she said.

To make an appointment with your primary care provider, call 857-DR4U.