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Health

Beware vague feelings of memory loss

13 September 2006

OLDER people who feel that they are “losing their mind” may be closer to the truth than anyone had realised.

Tests on a group of people over the age of 60 who complained of significant memory problems have shown that even those who performed well on cognitive tests had a 3 per cent reduction in the density of brain tissue in an area known to be important for memory (Neurology, vol 67, p 834). The findings could lead to earlier detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, says Andrew J. Saykin at Dartmouth Medical School in Lebanon, New Hampshire, who…

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