Maybe you have occasional memory lapses that we all seem to have when life is busy or we’re under stress. Or maybe you’re beginning to have more trouble remembering those pesky passwords for your computer. But otherwise, you feel fine and are able to go about your daily activities with no problem. So, does it make sense for you to have a screening test to assess whether you have the early signs of cognitive impairment? For an overview of memory loss and aging, you may want to consider what’s normal and what’s not by looking here.

Before any signs of dementia, many people are diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which causes slight but noticeable cognitive decline and is often a precursor to dementia. Those afflicted with MCI, however, may not realize it, and thus may miss early warning signs that could allow for valuable intervention. Now, the American Academy Of Neurology (AAN) is recommending that all patients 65 and over undergo yearly cognitive screening. With the pronouncement that part of quality care for older adults should include assessment of whether they have cognitive problems, the AAN recommendation stands in contrast to a recent statement by the US Preventive Services Task Force that suggests there’s not enough evidence of the benefits versus harms of such screening to regularly recommend it for cognitive impairment (though they recognize why such screening could be valuable). So, how to square these competing pronouncements? Given the low screening numbers to date, and the suggestion from advocacy groups of the value of such screening, it may make sense for you to ask for a screening test if you have suspicions about your own abilities or those of a loved one. To help clarify some of the confusion about cognitive screening, focus your attention and take a look here.

And a recent piece by Judith Graham in Kaiser Health News describes the declining computer skills that may warn of cognitive decline even before other signals surface such as forgetting names or misplacing items. Caregivers and loved ones then face the decision as to whether to limit or deny access to computers or smartphones to lessen the risk of trouble, especially given how many of us now conduct financial matters online. If this sounds familiar, put down your cell phone and check out the story here.