Alzheimer’s Disease :: Doctors Should Heed Patients’ Memory Complaints

Patients who complain that they are having trouble remembering things – especially when they are at a genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease – may be at higher risk for cognitive decline, a new study shows.

“There’s a lot of confusion about memory complaints, and whether they should be taken seriously or not,” study author Dr. Linda Ercoli, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in Los Angeles, said in a prepared statement.

“The study is one of the first to show an association between memory complaints and underlying brain function decline, and although not every complaint will lead to Alzheimer’s disease, it’s important to listen when patients talk about their memory concerns,” Ercoli said.

The findings appear in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.