Cleveland Clinic research finds that initial memory problems are linked with a slower rate of decline in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias

New Cleveland Clinic research finds that initial memory problems are linked with a slower rate of decline in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

The research team analyzed longitudinal data from 2,400 patients in the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center database to compare rates of decline in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy Body Dementia and mixed dementia. The study, published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, found that people with initial symptoms such as language difficulties or judgement changes had a more rapid course of disease than those with memory loss alone.

“This is the first study to evaluate the impact of the nature of early cognitive symptoms on future rate of cognitive decline,” said Jagan Pillai, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic's Center for Brain Health and lead author of the study. “These results hold importance in both designing future clinical trials design and individual patient management among dementia patients.”