Genes - Causes Of Memory Impairment: Improving Memory Understanding Age Related Memory Loss
Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Genes
Dozens of studies — involving more than 10,000 pairs of twins — have shown that genetic differences account for about half of the variation in people's mental abilities. Your genetic makeup also affects the degree to which you experience age-related memory loss and your risk for conditions that can impair memory, such as high blood pressure and Alzheimer's disease. If your parents or older siblings have memory loss, you are at higher risk than others who do not have this problem in their families.
Scientists have identified a common genetic variant that impairs memory. Normally, the gene directs the production of a chemical called brain-derived neurotropic factor, which travels to the synapses and regulates memory. However, the gene's so-called met variant, which is inherited by one-third of all people, encodes for a variant of this chemical. The result is that the chemical doesn't reach the synapses effectively. In one study, published in Cell in 2003, people who inherited one or two copies of the met variant did not do nearly as well on a memory test as people who inherited two normal copies of the gene. The brains of these people also appeared to function differently: Functional MRI images revealed that people with this gene variant had a different pattern of activity in the hippocampus than did other people.
Causes of dementiaIn addition to Alzheimer's disease, other causes of dementia include cerebrovascular disease, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy Body dementia, and corticobasalganglionic degeneration. Factors that may increase your risk of developing dementia include severe head injuries, exposures to toxic materials, alcoholism, vitamin deficiencies, and certain types of viral infections. Although people in the earliest stages of dementia often sense that something is wrong, the illness eventually deprives them of the insight necessary to understand their problems. So it's usually up to a family member or friend to recognize the symptoms. If you suspect that someone you know has dementia, arrange for a medical evaluation. Many forms of dementia are not reversible, but early detection provides an opportunity to minimize other medical conditions that may compound the dementia, and it allows family members more time to come to terms with the illness and to plan for long-term care. There are several medications approved for the treatment of dementia that can bring about moderate, temporary improvement in memory and other elements of cognitive function (see "Medications for memory impairment"). |
| Last updated: | January 23, 2007 |
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Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.
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