As you age, some forgetting is natural and inevitable. If you or someone you know is concerned about memory problems, you're not alone. But is it Alzheimer's disease?

Normal aging or dementia?

For most people, the memory impairment they experience as they get older is due to the normal aging process, and is not a symptom of a brain disease such as Alzheimer's. There are ways to cope with normal age-related memory loss.
However, it is important to understand that sometimes memory problems are the result of Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. The fact is, Alzheimer's disease is more than forgetting where you put your keys. If you have concerns about your memory, or are concerned about someone else, it is important that you to consult with your family doctor.

Diagnosis

Early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia is critical to ensuring proper support, care and treatment of the illness. It is also important because it allows people with the disease and their families to make key financial and care decisions while they are still functioning at the highest possible level.

However, diagnosing dementia is a complex and difficult process. Making a diagnosis of dementia takes the time and expertise of skilled practitioners, because the diagnosis can only be made after a systematic assessment that takes into account other possible causes for the symptoms (including conditions such as depression, thyroid or heart disease, infections, drug interactions or alcohol abuse).

There is no single test that can tell that someone has or does not have Alzheimer’s or a related disease. Learn more about diagnosis...


Memory Screening

As concern about Alzheimer's increases, some people have argued that population-based memory screening (also referred to as broad screening) should be offered for dementia.

Population-based means anybody can take the test, regardless of whether they've shown any symptoms. Memory screening, when used in the community, generally refers to the use of a simple mental status test that gives a numerical score to indicate whether an individual may or may not have memory problems.

However, based on advice given by leading dementia researchers and clinicians in Canada, the Alzheimer Society does not support population-based memory screening as a means to identify people who should be seen by a physician for a diagnostic evaluation. Read the Alzheimer Society's complete position on screening...

The tools currently available are often inaccurate, resulting in false positives or false negatives.

False positives occur when a person fails or scores poorly on a test but does not have Alzheimer’s disease or another type dementia.  False negatives occur when a person “passes” or scores well on a test but actually does have a type of dementia.


What you can do

Research to develop reliable early screening tools continues, and eventually we may be able to screen appropriately for Alzheimer's disease in the general population.

Until then, if you have any concerns about your memory, consult with your family doctor.  If you do not have a family physician, please contact your local Alzheimer Resource Centre to learn more about testing and access helpful resources.

You can also call the Dementia Helpline, toll-free 1-800-936-6033 (Lower Mainland 604-681-8651) Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.