The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Forgetfulness may be the first sign of more serious problems

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Thursday, Jul 12, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Forgetfulness may be the first sign of more serious problems

R. Sujatha

Early diagnosis, treatment can help dementia patients

Around 1.2 per cent of patients suffer from Alzheimer’s disease
Clinic conducts tests on Tuesdays and Fridays

CHENNAI: Forgetfulness is considered normal in the elderly, but often it could be the first sign of serious mental problems.

It is normal for the elderly to lose concentration, which is generally categorised as mild memory loss. But neglecting to treat the condition could lead to severe memory loss for some, says geriatrician V. S. Natarajan.

In the nine months since it started, the geriatric memory clinic in Kilpauk has screened around 150 patients over the age of 60.

At the clinic, on Tuesdays and Fridays for three hours in the morning, psychologists test the patient’s mental capabilities and analyse the scores based on the responses they get.

On a score of 30, if one gets above 28 he/she is categorised as suffering from mild memory loss. People who score below 15 are said to be suffering from severe memory loss.

“It has been proved that uncontrolled hypertension will lead to dementia,” says Dr. Natarajan, who runs the clinic.

Of the patients assessed in his clinic, a third suffered from mild memory loss, another third of them had mild to moderate memory impairment, requiring treatment. Nearly six per cent of those assessed needed anti-depressants as they were diagnosed with depression.

It is the commonest cause of memory loss, and is called pseudo dementia, the specialist says.

The study also revealed that around 1.2 per cent of the patients suffer from Alzheimer’s, the commonest form of which is dementia.

In his clinic, though people were assessed, often they did not return for treatment because they lacked the resources to seek treatment. Some dropped out because they did not see immediate improvement.

Early diagnosis and regular treatment could return the person to normal life.

“We have been able to do this in a few people who were not suffering from dementia. We need more memory clinics and flexible time at these clinics,” he said.

Interactive session

On its first anniversary on Saturday, the memory clinic will conduct an interactive session with the elderly and the care givers of those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s.

A film on the lives of some of the patients will also be screened.

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