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Men More Likely To Have Problems With Memory And Thinking Skills

Date:
April 18, 2008
Source:
American Academy of Neurology
Summary:
When it comes to remembering things, new research shows men are more likely than women to have mild cognitive impairment, the transition stage before dementia.
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When it comes to remembering things, new research shows men are more likely than women to have mild cognitive impairment, the transition stage before dementia.

"This is one of the first studies to determine the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment among men and women who have been randomly selected from a community to participate in the study," said study author Rosebud Roberts, MD, with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and member of the American Academy of Neurology. Mild cognitive impairment can also be described as impairment in memory or other thinking skills beyond what's expected for a person's age and education.

For the study, 2,050 people living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, who were between the ages of 70 and 89 were interviewed, examined, and given cognitive tests. Overall, 15 percent of the group had mild cognitive impairment.

The study found men were one-and-a-half times more likely to have mild cognitive impairment than women. The finding remained the same regardless of a man's education or marital status.

"These findings are in contrast to studies which have found more women than men (or an equal proportion) have dementia, and suggest there's a delayed progression to dementia in men," said Roberts. "Alternately, women may develop dementia at a faster rate than men."

The research was presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 16, 2008.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Robert H. and Clarice Smith and Abigail Van Buren Alzheimer's Disease Research Program.


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Materials provided by American Academy of Neurology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

American Academy of Neurology. "Men More Likely To Have Problems With Memory And Thinking Skills." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 April 2008. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm>.
American Academy of Neurology. (2008, April 18). Men More Likely To Have Problems With Memory And Thinking Skills. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 15, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm
American Academy of Neurology. "Men More Likely To Have Problems With Memory And Thinking Skills." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416152000.htm (accessed October 15, 2024).

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