Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T22:28:10.010Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Age-Associated Memory Impairment: A Suitable Case for Treatment?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2008

Ian J. Deary
Ian J. Deary
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, Scotland, UK.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The provisional criteria for age-associated memory impairment (AAMI) attempt to define a potentially treatable decline in mental function found in people over 50 years of age. It is suggested here that the present criteria are likely to apply to a large proportion of those over age 50 in the population. From a psychometric viewpoint the criteria have several short-comings that are detailed. Finally, the social and ethical problems of the wider use of such a diagnosis are adumbrated.

Keywords

Age-associated memory impairmentAAMIageingintelligencememorypremorbid IQ
Type
Forum
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , September 1995 , pp. 393 - 406
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allain, H., Boyer, P., Kossmann, L., Lepine, J.-P. and Kanowski, S. 1990. Group report 1: therapeutic target for cognition enhancers: diagnosis and clinical phenomenology. Pharmacopsychiatry, 23, 49–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baltes, P. B. 1987. Theoretical propositions of life-span developmental psychology: on the dynamics between growth and decline. Developmental Psychology, 23, 611–626.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baltes, P. B. 1991. The many faces of human ageing: toward a psychological culture of old age. Psychological Medicine, 21, 837–854.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bamford, K. A. and Caine, E. D. 1988. Does “benign senescent forgetfulness exist?” Clinics in Geriatric Medicine, 4, 897–916.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barker, A. and Jones, R. 1993. Age-associated memory impairment: diagnostic and treatment issues. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 8, 305–310.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blackford, R. C. and La Rue, A. 1989. Criteria for diagnosing age-associated memory impairment: proposed improvements from the field. Developmental Neuropsychology, 5, 295–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christensen, H. 1991. The validity of memory complaints by elderly persons. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 307–312.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cockburn, J. and Smith, P. T. 1991. The relative influence of intelligence and age on everyday memory. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 46, P31–P36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crawford, J. R. 1989. Estimation of premorbid intelligence: a review of recent developments. In Crawford, J. R. and Parker, D. M. (eds), Developments in Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology. Plenum, London, 55–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crawford, J. R., Stewart, L. E., Garthwaite, P. H., Parker, D. M. and Besson, J. A. O. 1988. The relationship between demographic variables and NART performance in normal subjects. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 27, 181–182.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crawford, J. R., Allan, K. M., Cochrane, R. H. B. and Parker, D. M. 1990. Assessing the validity of NART-estimated premorbid IQs in the individual case. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 29, 435–436.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crook, T. H. III 1990. Assessment of drug efficacy in age-associated memory impairment. Advances in Neurology, 51, 211–216.Google ScholarPubMed
Crook, T., Bartus, R. T., Ferris, S. H., Whitehouse, P., Cohen, G. D. and Gershon, S. 1986. Age-associated memory impairment: proposed diagnostic criteria and measures of clinical change – report of a National Institute of Mental Health Work Group. Developmental Neuropsychology, 2, 261–276.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crook, T. and Larrabee, G. J. 1988. Age-associated memory impairment: diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 24, 509–514.Google ScholarPubMed
Crook, T. H., Johnson, B. A. and Larrabee, G.J. 1990. Evaluation of drugs in Alzheimer's disease and age-associated memory impairment. In Benkert, O., Maier, W. and Rickels, K. (eds), Methodology of the Evaluation of Psychotropic Drugs (Psychopharmacology Series 8). Springer, Berlin, 37–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drachman, D. A. 1986. Memory and cognitive function in normal aging. Developmental Neuropsychology, 2, 277–285.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grioli, S., Lomeo, C, Quattropani, M. C., Spignoli, G. and Villardita, C. 1990. Pyroglutamic acid improves the age associated memory impairment. Fundamental Clinical Pharmacology, 4, 169–173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gruneberg, M. M. 1992. The practical application of memory aids. Knowing how, knowing when and knowing not. In Gruneberg, M. and Morris, P. (eds), Aspects of Memory: Volume I: The Practical Aspects, Second Edition. Routledge, London, 168–195.Google Scholar
Herrmann, D.J. and Palmisano, M. 1992. The facilitation of memory performance. In Gruneberg, M. and Morris, P. (eds), Aspects of Memory: Volume I: The Practical Aspects, Second Edition. Routledge, London, 147–167.Google Scholar
Jorm, A. F., Christensen, H., Henderson, A. S., Korten, A. E., Mackinnon, A.J. and Scott, R. 1994. Complaints of cognitive decline in the elderly: a comparison of reports by subjects and informants in a community survey. Psychological Medicine, 24, 365–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Light, L. L. 1991. Memory and ageing: four hypotheses in search of data. Annual Review of Psychology, 42, 333–376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McEntee, W.J. and Crook, T. H. 1990. Age-associated memory impairment: a role for catecholamines. Neurology, 40, 526–530.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, H. E. 1982. National Adult Reading Test (NART): Test Manual. NFER Nelson, Windsor.Google Scholar
O'Brien, J. T., Beats, B., Hill, R., Howard, R., Sahakian, B. and Levy, R. 1992. Do subjective memory complaints precede dementia? A three-year follow-up of patients with supposed ‘benign senescent forgetfulness’. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 7, 481–486.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Brien, J. T. and Levy, R. 1992. Age associated memory impairment. British Medical Journal, 304, 5–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Connor, D. W., Pollitt, P. A., Roth, M., Brook, P. B. and Reiss, B. B. 1990. Memory complaints and impairment in normal, depressed and demented elderly persons identified in a community survey. Archives of General Psychiatry, 47, 224–227.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rabbitt, P. M. A. 1992. Memory. In Evans, G.J. and Williams, T. F. (eds), Oxford Textbook of Geriatric Medicine. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 463–479.Google Scholar
Salthouse, T. A. 1985. A Theory of Cognitive Ageing. North Holland, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Scogin, F., Storandt, M. and Lott, L. 1985. Memory-skills training, memory complaints and depression in older adults. Journal of Gerontology, 40, 562–568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, G., Ivnik, R.J., Petersen, R. C, Malec, J. F., Kokmen, E. and Tangalos, E. 1991. Age-associated memory impairment diagnoses: problems of reliability and concern for terminology. Psychology and Aging, 6, 551–558.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spagnoli, A. 1991. Clinical relevance in drug trials for Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 265–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stigsdotter, A. and Backman, L. 1989. Multifactorial memory training with older adults: how to foster maintenance of improved performance. Gerontology, 35, 260–267.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, J. L., Miller, T. P. and Tinklenberg, J. R. 1992. Correlates of memory decline: a 4-year longitudinal study of older adults with memory complaints. Psychology and Aging, 7, 185–193.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
The List. 1993. The List: Glasgow and Edinburgh Events Guide, 12–25 02, Issue 194, P71.Google Scholar
Watson, D. and Pennebaker, J. W. 1989. Health complaints, stress and distress: exploring the central role of negative affectivity. Psychological Review, 96, 234–254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wechsler, D. 1987. WMS-R – Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised – Manual. The Psychological Corporation and Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, San Antonio.Google Scholar
Yesavage, J. A. 1989. Techniques for cognitive training of memory in age-associated memory impairment. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Suppl 1, 185–190.Google ScholarPubMed
Yesavage, J. A. and Sheikh, J. I. 1988. Nonpharmacologic treatment of age-associated memory impairment. Comprehensive Therapy, 14, 44–46.Google ScholarPubMed