Subjective Cognitive Decline: The Earliest Sign of Alzheimer’s Disease?

“Some of the symptoms that I think become much more worrisome are getting lost in familiar surroundings; difficulty remembering important events that have happened; having trouble following the plot of a TV program or book due to memory; and finding that your memory is worse than friends of the same age.”

Concerns about memory and thinking may show up years before serious symptoms arise that would require medical attention, Dr. Amariglio emphasized. “These findings are important to researchers who are looking to identify people who may be years away from clinical symptoms but may be appropriate for drug trials in the near future … to help eventually prevent Alzheimer’s disease,” she concluded.

Dr. Petersen noted that patients presenting with subjective cognitive concerns should be a trigger for the clinician to probe more deeply. “‘What do you mean your memory is not as good as it used to be?’” he suggested asking. “Is it a change in their pattern?.... I think this line of research is going to heighten the awareness of physicians, as well as the general public.”

—Fred Balzac
Contributing Writer