Memory Lapses vs. Mild Cognitive Impairment: What Your Brain Is Telling You

Memory lapses can happen to anyone at any age, but they become more common as you get older. That’s because the brain prunes certain neural connections and doesn’t form as many new ones as when you were younger. This type of memory problem is no problem.

But, when do simple memory lapses turn into mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and what does that term even mean?

MCI is used to describe the early stages of dementia, and unlike memory lapses, it occurs because of physical changes to the brain that interfere with its normal functioning. It isn’t age-related.

At Advanced Neurology Specialists, LLC, board-certified neurologist Dr. Cory Lamar and our team provide treatments to help slow down dementia’s effects and allow patients to retain a good quality of life for longer. 

If you’re concerned that maybe your memory lapses are caused by something more than just your advancing years, here’s what you need to know about what could be going on in your brain.

The forms of dementia

Over 100 conditions can lead to dementia, but here are the three most common.

Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, with over seven million people living with it in the United States.

Alzheimer’s is a physical disease characterized by beta-amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles developing in the brain. These impede normal cell communication and lead to the characteristic symptoms of impaired memory, thinking, mood, and behavior.

Early symptoms of forgetfulness and disorientation are classified as mild cognitive impairment. While there are treatments that slow the disease’s progression once it’s diagnosed, symptoms inevitably worsen over time, and there’s no known cure.

Vascular dementia

Vascular dementia results from blood vessel damage in the brain, which leads to restricted blood flow through the vessels. The condition affects reasoning, planning, judgment, and attention, all of which can interfere with your daily life. The early stages are, like Alzheimer’s, termed MCI.

Often, vascular dementia occurs together with Alzheimer’s disease or another brain disease, making it difficult to diagnose.

And, like Alzheimer’s, there’s no known cure, but treatment early in its progression can slow the person’s decline.

Lewy body dementia (LBD)

LBD is an umbrella term that refers to two conditions: dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease dementia. The two are grouped together because, in both forms, Lewy   bodies damage brain tissue.

A Lewy body is a small tangle of a protein called alpha-synuclein that resides inside brain cells. When the tangles form, the brain can’t function properly, and movement, thinking, and behavior become affected. The early stages are, once again, classified as MCI.

While there’s no cure for Lewy body dementia, some of the symptoms can be treated with medication and other therapies, allowing you to live a better life for longer if caught early enough.

There’s also a fourth type of dementia, called mixed dementia, that involves having two or more of these conditions at the same time. The most common form is a combination of Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Diagnosing MCI

No definitive tests exist for any of these forms of dementia, although researchers are beginning to roll out blood tests that may indicate the presence of beta-amyloid and tau in Alzheimer’s patients.

As a result, Dr. Lamar takes a comprehensive medical history, performs neuropsychological testing to rule out other conditions, and may use imaging studies to determine if there’s cause for concern. If you do have MCI, he prescribes medications to target the symptoms, prolonging the period of lucidity as much as they can.

If you think you or a loved one might be dealing with mild cognitive impairment, Advanced Neurology Specialists, LLC, in Naples, Florida, can help. Call our office at 239-667-5878 to set up a consultation with Dr. Lamar, or book online with us today.