newjerseynewsroom.com

BY CAROL ABAYA

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

THE SANDWICH GENERATION

Dementia is not a normal aspect of aging. While many forms of dementia are curable, more than 15 million Americans have a form of dementia called MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment) for which scientists cannot identify the root cause. These people are in addition to the 5 million who have Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), which now can scientifically be confirmed while a person is still alive. (See last week’s column.)

Many forms of dementia can be cured because they result from result from thyroid problems or negative interactions of medicines, heart or lung problems, dehydration, or stress, among other physically identifiable reasons.

However, there is no known physical or pathological cause for MCI and there is no set regimen to treat MCI.

New Jersey’s Joel Ross, M.D., FACP, AGSF, CMD CPI, has been treating MCI patients for more than 20 years and now heads clinical trials (studies) of several drugs that hopefully can treat the symptoms of this illness. Ross is founder and CEO of The Memory Enhancement Centers of America and is certified by the Academy of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Investigators to head research studies.

Ross notes that there is no known pathological cause because all medical tests, including MRIs, blood DNA tests, spinal taps and PET scans, prove negative. All these tests also are negative for Alzheimer’s. Research in this area, he notes, has not been as aggressive as research for other diseases such as cancer. This is why Ross has focused solely on MCI and Alzheimer’s research since 2000.

Those with MCI can still do ADLs (activities of daily living) and IADLs (incidental activities), but have minor memory problems While these people do not test positive in the beginning, Ross says, about 10 to 15 percent of his MCI patients eventually develop AD.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, MCI is a general term commonly defined as a subtle but measurable memory disorder. A person with MCI experiences memory problems greater than normally expected with aging, but does not show other symptoms of dementia, such as impaired judgment or reasoning.

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AA points out that research about MCI is at a relatively early stage. While there have been some studies, there is not enough evidence to recommend a standard approach So, there are no widely accepted professional guidelines for treatment .

Ross refers to a study published by the American Academy of Neurology which identified certain criteria for an MCI diagnosis:

• an individual’s report of his or her own memory problems, preferably confirmed by another person.

• measurable greater-than-normal memory impairment detected with standard memory assessment tests

• normal general thinking and reasoning skills

• ability to perform normal daily activities

With this little guidance in mind, researchers, including Ross, are trying to answer some key questions:

• How much memory impairment is too much to be considered more than normal?

• How much memory impairment is significant enough to be considered a real symptom of mild dementia?

• How hard should one look for subtle abnormalities in other areas of thinking?

• How do we know if these other changes are normal aging or worse?

Ross and other scientists say that much more work is needed on the biological changes associated with aging, MCI and other dementia.