New reasons for memory loss

It appears that memory in loss in older adults may be due to “silent strokes” or small spots of dead brain cells found in about one out of four seniors. These dead spots lead to cognitive and memory impairment.

“The new aspect of this study of memory loss in the elderly is that it examines silent strokes and hippocampal shrinkage simultaneously,” reported study author Adam M. Brickman, PhD, of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center in New York.

658 adults aged 65 and older who were free of dementia agreed to have an MRI brain scan. They also were tested for memory, language, speed of processing information and visual perception.

In that group, 174 people had experienced silent strokes. People with evidence of silent stroke scored worse on memory tests than those without the silent stroke. This was true regardless of the size of the hippocampus, the memory section of the brain. One symptom of Alzheimer’s and other dementia is that the hippocampus has shrunk, thus impairing memory. It appears that for this group, memory loss could occur independently of brain shrinkage.

“Given that conditions like Alzheimer’s disease are defined mainly by memory problems our results may lead to further insight into what causes symptoms and the development of new interventions for prevention. Since silent strokes and the volume of the hippocampus appeared to be associated with memory loss separately in our study, our results also support stroke prevention as a means for staving off memory problems,” explained Brickman.

Source: Neurology, ScienceDaily