Denton County Living Well Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 4

Kerry Mahan, MD

Board Certified in Internal Medicine

Dementia:
When should you be concerned
about your short-term memory?

changes, confusion, lack of hygiene, and strange behaviors.
Alzheimer’s dementia is the most common dementia
causing 80% of diagnosed dementia cases. The cause of
Alzheimer’s dementia is the breakdown of the neuron that
produces the chemical acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.
Definitive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s dementia can be made
only at autopsy; however, early detection via screening exams followed by thorough medical evaluation is important.

ave you misplaced something lately and
wondered if you should be concerned
about your short-term memory? Every
68 seconds someone is diagnosed with
the most common form of dementia: Alzheimer’s dementia. One of four family members is, or will
be, acting as caretaker for an Alzheimer’s patient.
Who should be concerned about the state of their shortterm memory?
The answer is a matter of age. Individuals older than 65
years have dementia at a rate of 5 to 8% while individuals
older than 80 years have dementia at a rate of 50%. Dementia is the loss of mental functions that include: short-term
memory, reasoning, language, visual perception, and thinking––so severe it impairs an individual’s daily activities
of life. Patients with dementia exhibit a change in mood,
behavior, and personality. Dementia warning signs include
repeating stories, repeating asked questions, getting lost,
misplacing items, grasping for the right words, personality

The purpose of a thorough medical
evaluation for dementia is twofold:

H

•

•

First, is to appropriately diagnosis Alzheimer’s dementia and
initiate treatment with cholinesterase inhibitor medications to
preserve the patient’s memory, thinking, language, and judgment.
Second, is to accurately diagnosis each of the other 50 types
of dementia and to initiate treatment, especially in the 20% of
those dementias that are reversible.

The SAGE Self Administered Geocognitive Examination
is a self screen exam that is available online for individuals
wanting early detection. This screening tool detects 80%
of examiners with mild thinking and memory impairment
while 95% of normal examiners will have normal exams.
Anyone having a positive screening exam or anyone expressing the warning signs of dementia should undergo a
thorough medical evaluation. Typically, the medical evaluation includes a neurological exam, a battery of laboratory
tests and sometimes, a CT scan or MRI of the brain. The
purpose of these exams is to diagnosis and treat reversible
dementia such as subdural hematoma, vitamin B12 and
folate deficiency, syphilis, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, AIDS, normal pressure hydrocephalus, and hypoglycemia. Depression is another treatable disease process.

Kerry Mahan, MD

Dr. Kerry Mahan is an experienced and Board Certified
Internal Medicine specialist and serves as primary care
physician for adults.