Researchers Say Memory Loss Can Begin As Early As 45

The popular image of someone suffering from dementia is a gray-haired senior citizen, but recent studies suggest the process of memory loss begins much sooner.

While some recent studies concluded that there was little evidence of cognitive decline before the age of 60, British researchers say the presence of amyloid plaques in the brain, one of the things associated with memory loss, has been detected in young adults.

A study at Inserm and the University College London studies nearly 7,300 men and women between the ages of 45 and 70. The subjects were monitored for ten years.

As expected, the results show that cognitive performance declines with age and more rapidly so as the individual's age increases. The decline is significant in each age group.

For example, during the period studied, reasoning scores decreased by 3.6 % for men aged between 45 and 49, and 9.6 % for those aged between 65 and 70. The corresponding figures for women stood at 3.6% and 7.4% respectively.

Significant consequences

The authors stress that evidence pointing to cognitive decline before the age of 60 has significant consequences.

"Determining the age at which cognitive decline begins is important since behavioral or pharmacological interventions designed to change cognitive aging trajectories are likely to be more effective if they are applied from the onset of decline." said Archana Singh-Manoux, one of the authors.

The study concludes that some patients should begin treatment for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive impairments at an earlier age.

The issue is a significant one since the large Baby Boom generation is now entering its senior years. As many as 10 million Baby Boomers will die of Alzheimer's, according to some estimates.