Men more often affected by memory impairment

Men more often affected by memory impairment

(07.09.2010) Alzheimer's and dementia are the most extreme forms of memory problems that become more common in old age. But even slight memory problems increase with age. Now American researchers from the Mayo Clinic - Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Rochester have found that mental performance in men and women dwindles very differently in old age. Men are therefore far more likely to be affected by minor ailments than women.

In their study, the researchers examined the mental performance of men and women between the ages of 70 and 89, with the approximately 2,000 senior citizens not only answering questions about their own health, but also subjected to various puzzles and memory tests. The researchers have now published the result in the current issue of the journal "Neurology". On average, men are more likely to suffer from mild memory deficiencies than women, and memory problems may be indicative of a possible future Alzheimer's or dementia disorder. Thus, such tests from the point of view of the study director Ronald Petersen are also extremely important for the early detection of later mental complaints.

In the study, 19 percent of male subjects and 14 percent of women had mild mental retardation, indicating a clear gender-specific relationship. From the researchers' point of view, however, it is curious that the proportion of women with mild memory problems is lower. Because of the mild mental symptoms may later Alzheimer's or dementia arise, but the proportion of women affected here is decidedly higher than that of men. Petersen and his team assume that gender-specific differences also exist in the transition from mild memory impairment to Alzheimer's or dementia. The assumption: in women, a slight impairment of mental capacity quickly results in a serious impairment of cognitive abilities than in men. Seventy-six percent of senior citizens were classified as mentally healthy in the study, and around 200 of the 2,000 seniors examined suffered from dementia prior to the study.

Another result of the study was that not all sections of the population are equally affected by the restrictions. Thus, the researchers were able to derive a clear connection with the educational level and the family situation of the respondents who has never been married or has enjoyed a poorer education, therefore suffers much more often in the degradation of mental capacity. According to Ronald Petersen, however, further investigations are needed to confirm the results so far and possibly develop new therapeutic options and diagnostic procedures. In particular, due to the increasing number of diseases, there is a significant need for action. Because "if one adds the already demented persons and those with the slight mental difficulties, altogether approximately 24 per cent of the people over 70 show a decrease of the mental achievement power", so the expert. (Sb)

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