Early diagnosis: The numbers of patients diagnosed with mild memory problems has increased hugely in the past five years, according to an expert in old age psychiatry.
"Thirty per cent of patients we are seeing now at the memory clinic have mild cognitive impairment which, in some cases will develop into Alzheimer's disease," said Prof Brian Lawlor, professor in old age psychiatry at St James's Hospital and Trinity College Dublin.
A patient profile study at the Mercer's memory clinic seven years ago in St James's hospital, Dublin didn't have any patients in this category.
"We are seeing people earlier and more people with milder problems are being referred to us. Many of these people have essentially normal functioning in other areas and they know that they have a memory problem," Prof Lawlor said. The problem is that - as yet - it is unclear what percentage of these patients will develop dementia.
"We address risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and encourage brain stimulating [ memory] exercises to increase brain plasticity in the hope that it might decrease the risk of transition into dementia," said Prof Lawlor.
"Studies of drugs - cholinesterase inhibitors - which have shown some benefit in Alzheimer's disease have been negative so far in terms of treating mild cognitive impairment," said Prof Lawlor.
The role of memory clinics in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease was also stressed recently by Dr Denis Eustace, consultant psychiatrist and medical director of Highfield hospital, Dublin .
"The management of people with dementia in this country has progressed in recent years but we still have to do more. The improvements we made are not enough to deal with emerging problems. We need to develop more memory clinics, centres where people can be diagnosed earlier," Dr Eustace said.
"There is disturbing evidence to suggest that 12 to 15 per cent of people with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop Alzheimer's disease," adds Dr Eustace, who has recently written a guide to Alzheimer's disease for carers, entitled No Time to Lose.
Dr Deirdre McMackin, neuropsychologist at the memory clinic in St Patrick's Hospital, said: "Reversible causes such as anxiety or depressive disorders or chronic stress account for 30 to 40 per cent of the patients we see with mild cognitive impairment."
The Mercer's memory clinic in St James's Hospital is the national referral centre for public patients with memory problems.
