Memory loss and changes in cognitive functioning are frightening for patients and their families. In a very real sense, we are very much the collection of our memories. How we see ourselves, how we relate to others, how we navigate through our daily lives involves memory. Receiving a general diagnosis of dementia, or being told that you or a loved one has a specific disorder like Alzheimer's disease, is typically bewildering and overwhelming. The material found in this section is written for patients and their families. It is intended to help clarify and explain dementia and its causes. While there are no cures for dementia, accurate information can help patients and their families cope with these problems, and effectively plan so that independence and life quality can be maintained for as long as possible.

At the outset, it is important to distinguish between forgetfulness, which is a common and normal occurrence, and dementia, which is not a normal part of aging. Forgetfulness can be thought of as a simple "miss" in concentration or attention. We all become forgetful from time to time. Forgetting where you placed the car keys, not remembering to pick up a grocery item, and forgetting to send an email are typically benign events. As we age, we become more forgetful.

This is a normal process. In almost all circumstances, benign forgetfulness can be prevented or remedied by improving our focus and concentration, or by being less distracted. However in the case of dementia, memory errors are not easily corrected. For persons with dementia, the actual ability to make new memories is impaired.

One way to help determine if apparent problems in memory are the result of simple forgetfulness or are instead an indicator of a serious memory disorder is through cognitive screening. Cognitive tests like the BCAT^® can be quickly administered by your healthcare practitioner. They can indicate whether more thorough evaluation is necessary. Cognitive screening has many advantages, but is also associated with complex issues.

Below you will find short and basic descriptions of memory syndromes and disorders. They are presented to provide you with information to better cope with very challenging and often life-altering illnesses.