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Failing memory is a serious concern as we grow older. While medical solutions for memory loss remain elusive, diet, exercise, socialization and lifelong learning can push back cognitive impairment.

What is dementia? It refers to memory loss and other cognitive problems that are severe enough to interrupt a person’s daily life. Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and dementia with Lewy bodies are all types of dementia.

More than 5 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of dementia. By 2050, that number is expected to rise to 16 million Americans.

In Alzheimer’s disease, abnormal proteins called tau and beta-amyloid clump together to form deposits in the brain. These deposits gradually damage nerve cells and destroy areas of the brain. Vascular dementia often occurs after a stroke that damages blood vessels in the brain. The damaged vessels prevent enough blood from reaching brain tissues. People who have dementia with Lewy bodies have an abnormal buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. It’s possible to have a combination of these different dementia types, known as “mixed dementia.”

Dementia symptoms vary by type, but can include difficulty remembering names and events, trouble communicating, depression, poor judgment, confusion, behavior changes, and sleep disturbances. People who are suspected of having dementia will undergo a series of dementia tests, or Alzheimer’s tests, to determine whether they have lost memory and cognitive function. Doctors will ask the person and his or her family members about any memory problems and trouble completing daily activities.

Other tests involve evaluating memory, attention, problem-solving, and language skills. During these tests, the health care provider will ask the person a series of questions and assign tasks, such as remembering the names of common objects or drawing a face of a clock. Brain scans such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or positron emission tomography (PET) may also be done to assess brain structure and function.

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Short-Term Memory Loss: Part of Aging?

Jan 9, 2019 · Helen Boehm Johnson, MD · Memory

Do you feel as if you've been experiencing more short-term memory loss lately? Interestingly, what many of us think of as short-term memory—for example, recalling in the afternoon what we had for breakfast that morning—is actually defined by scientists as long-term memory. Short-term memory is technically limited to … Read More

Dementia Care: Don’t Neglect Yourself When Serving as Caretaker for a Loved One

Jan 2, 2019 · Rosanne Leipzig, MD, PhD · Memory

About one-third of adults age 65 and older are family caregivers, many of whom are looking after relatives with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Unfortunately, dementia care can be a heavy load for caregivers. The stress of looking after someone with dementia can take its … Read More

Alcoholic Dementia: How Heavy Drinking Can Affect Your Memory

Dec 19, 2018 · Susan Jimison Vitek · Memory

Moderate drinking (one or two glasses a day) shouldn’t affect your cognitive function and may even provide some mild benefits. But chronic alcohol abuse can lead to alcohol-induced dementia due to the combined toxic effects of alcohol and the nutritional deficiencies often associated with alcoholism. In fact, heavy drinking … Read More

Best Type of Exercise to Prevent Memory Loss and Mild Cognitive Impairment?

Dec 18, 2018 · UHN Staff · Memory

You probably know that regular exercise lowers the risk of mild cognitive impairment, or “pre-dementia,” and Alzheimer’s, but do you know which exercise is best for brain health? Step off the treadmill and pick up some iron because newer research shows strength training outperforms … Read More

How to Improve Memory Power: 8 Tips for Fending Off Forgetfulness

Dec 10, 2018 · Susan Jimison Vitek · Memory

Although Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are not yet entirely preventable, you can learn to boost your ability to organize information, cement it in your mind, and recall it more easily. The following tips on how to improve memory are among the … Read More

What Is Alzheimer’s?

Dec 7, 2018 · Lynne Christensen · Memory

Anyone who has seen the effects of Alzheimer's disease on a loved one knows it's a devastating condition—one that that compromises not only the ability to remember and to think but to take care of oneself. But what is Alzheimer’s? The Alzheimer's Association provides a direct and … Read More

Signs of Dementia: How to Identify Them—and What You Can Do

Dec 6, 2018 · Dawn Bialy · Memory

As you get older, it's natural to be concerned about the possibility that you or a loved one will begin showing signs of dementia. In fact, among adults who are age 65 or older, one in nine will develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), according to the Read More

Eat Healthy Fats to Lower the Risk of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Nov 30, 2018 · UHN Staff · Memory

Are you getting enough healthy fats in your diet? Don't skimp; healthy dietary fats are vital to brain function and the prevention of dementia and Alzheimer’s, and a low-fat diet can deprive your brain of essential nutrients. Here's why healthy fats are critical: The fats we eat are … Read More

10 Dementia Symptoms: Warning Signs vs. Normal Aging

Nov 26, 2018 · JoAnn Milivojevic · Memory

Do you keep losing your keys, forgetting where you parked your car, or drawing a blank on names of people you just met? Maybe you can’t remember where you left your wallet more often than you’d care to admit. Such lapses of memory tend to get people of a certain … Read More

Delirium: Defining a Syndrome Often Mistaken for Dementia

Nov 13, 2018 · Leonaura Rhodes, MD · Memory

Delirium is a medical syndrome—not a disease—in which there is a rapid onset of confusion, altered consciousness, and behavioral changes. Unlike dementia, which shares some of these symptoms, the onset of delirium is usually within hours or days (as opposed to months or years). Delirium is considered a medical emergency. … Read More

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