Memory Loss Evaluation and Screening

Forgetting where you put something now and then is a part of life and of getting older – but frequent and more severe bouts with memory loss, odd behaviors, confusion or getting lost in familiar locations may indicate the presence of a medical condition for which professional evaluation and treatment should be sought. Not all memory loss denotes the start of Alzheimer’s disease; other possibilities include nutritional deficiencies, dehydration leading to chronic urinary tract infections, side effects of multiple medications, brain injuries and vascular dementia, to name a few. The process of evaluating a person’s memory loss begins with establishing a baseline on their cognitive functioning capabilities through a thorough medical history followed by a physical and neurological exam, lab tests, and when necessary, imaging studies of the brain.